Carroll Franklin Taylor

Carroll Franklin Taylor, 90, of Durham, NC, passed away on May 21, 2026. Carroll was born August 21, 1935, in a mill village outside Gastonia, NC to Horace Smith Taylor and Flora Belle Ledford Taylor. His family moved to Gastonia in 1941 and subsequently to York, SC in 1947, where he graduated from high school in 1953.

Carroll enlisted in the Marines on July 21, 1953, and served three years on active duty, obtaining the rank of Sergeant after 22 months of service. He served five years in the stand-by reserves and was honorably discharged in 1961.

Carroll attended Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC for two years before transferring to the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1958. He graduated with a degree in business administration with an emphasis on accounting in 1960. While at USC, he met the love of his life, Harriet Marie Meade, a nursing student in Charleston, SC. They became engaged in 1959 and married September 17, 1960, in Salisbury, NC.

Carroll started his career in public accounting in Charlotte, NC with Arthur Anderson & Co. in July of 1960. He subsequently worked for Richard M. Hunter & Co., also in Charlotte and then A.M. Pullen & Co. in Columbia, SC. During this time, he and Harriet were blessed with a son, Jon, in 1962 and two daughters, Stella and Mary, in 1964 and 1965.

Carroll and his family moved to Durham, NC in 1967 where he became partner in 1969 with the firm, Ricca, Nelson, Gantt & Co. He and Harriet welcomed two more daughters, Karen and Susan, in 1968 and 1969. Carroll became a founding partner in his own company, Neal, Bradsher & Taylor in 1984. Carroll officially retired in 1998.

Carroll was a devoted and active member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. He served as parish accountant, a school board member and was the chairman of the first Bishop’s Annual Appeal Program in 1979. After retirement, Carroll volunteered as a collection counter for a number of years.

Carroll’s family will remember him most as a loving husband and father whose kindness, support and generosity knew no bounds. Carroll loved watching sports of all kinds and was an avid UNC Tarheel basketball fan. He was also a voracious reader and enjoyed books on American history, especially The Civil War and World War II. Carroll loved swimming, visiting NC beaches and riding roller coasters with his kids. He was also a loving and proud grandfather to three grandsons who will carry on his sense of humor and good looks.

Carroll is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Harriet Taylor; son, Jon Taylor; daughters Stella Taylor, Karen (Daniel) Munson and Susan (Robert) Whitt and grandsons David Taylor, Gregory Taylor and Matthew Munson. He is preceded in death by a beloved daughter, Mary Carroll Foss; his parents, Horace and Belle Taylor; brothers Edwin Taylor and Hughbert Taylor; and sisters Juanita Lee, Annetta Medvidovich and Dianna Taylor.

A private graveside service will be held at St. Matthew’s Catholic Cemetery in Durham, NC.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Durham Rescue Mission at https://durhamrescuemission.org/.