Diana DeLauder Taylor –October 26, 2021
Alan (Lanny) Eugene Taylor – October 27, 2021
United in life for over 50 years, Lanny and Diana were separated for a mere 36 hours before beginning their eternal journey together.
Lanny was born in Boscobel, Wisconsin and moved to Alexandria, Virginia when he was 2, spending most of his life within a few miles of that first home at the Shirley Duke Apartments. A graduate of Annandale High School, Lanny was drafted into the Army in 1968 and served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne in 1969 and 1970.
Diana was born in Greeley, Colorado, and moved to Alexandria, Virginia when she was a young girl. Like Lanny, she spent most of her life within a few miles of her childhood home. Diana graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and worked for several years afterwards in the banking industry.
Lanny and Diana met through her cousin, Michael – a former co-worker and friend of Lanny’s, and the rest, as they say, is history. They were married in 1976 and shortly afterwards Lanny began his career as an electrician – a trade he practiced until his retirement. He traveled around the world for many years where he worked at the American embassies wiring their facilities for computers. Hard to imagine there was a time when everyone didn’t have a computer on their desk, but he was one of the people making that transition happen. While Lanny was honing his electrical skills, Diana worked for a small independent newspaper and eventually started a paper of her own – The Bulletin Board – which she published for several years. After closing down The Bulletin Board she worked for over 10 years at Inova Health Systems until her retirement.
Lanny and Diana also maintained an antique booth at Fox Den Antiques in Warrenton, Virginia where they specialized in restored and refinished furniture and elegant glassware.
In 2017 Lanny and Diana moved to Winchester, Virginia where they enjoyed renovating their home, refinishing furniture and watching the birds and wildlife out their back window.
Sadly, both experienced numerous health issues in the last year or so which shortened their time with the rest of us. Diana passed away early in the morning of October 26th and the next day Lanny closed his eyes and slipped away to join her.
Those who knew Lanny will remember his sense of humor and how super smart he was. There was no puzzle or mechanical problem he couldn’t solve. Diana will be remembered for her kind and caring heart and her willingness to lend a hand to anyone who needed one. Both will be remembered for their love and devotion to family. They are survived by Diana’s sister, Jan, Lanny’s sister and brother, Linda (Larry) and Paul, nephews Christopher (Eva), Matthew (Tiffany) and Michael, and niece, Melissa (Richard), great-nephews Maxwell, Sutter and Mason and great-niece Rylee, and numerous cousins and friends. A memorial service for both will be held at a later date. Donations in their memory may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or to the charity of your choice.
