Carol Cole Taylor

Addie Carol Cole Taylor, 88, of Beaufort, NC was reunited with her husband and two sons on November 2, 2024. Her final moments were spent peacefully surrounded by a large portion of her family. 

A graveside service will be held at Carteret Memorial Gardens, at 3:00PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

Carol was born in Beaufort on September 18, 1936 to the late Addie G. Stafford Cole and William A. Cole. She was the 3rd of 6 children. She grew up on Pine Street with her parents and siblings and also spent a large amount of time with her grandparents.

 She and her siblings maintained a close relationship throughout their lives. They were always spending time together and getting themselves into humorous situations, especially the three sisters. There was never a shortage of love and laughter when they were around each other. She also had two Aunts who were more like sisters – Dot and Sue. Nobody knew what to expect when they all got together. She and Jean were two peas in a pod, and people were constantly mistaking them for each other. 

Carol met William S. “Bill” Taylor when she was 17 years old. She was working at a griddle restaurant across from the Beaufort Theater and Bill came in to eat lunch on his break as a Seashore bus driver. They dated three months before they were married on July 22, 1954. They resided in Beaufort and Sea Level for most of their marriage. They briefly lived outside of Carteret County for only a few weeks before she told Bill that she had been gone long enough and was ready to get back home. She and Bill enjoyed square dancing, fishing, and traveling around the United States and Canada, but that salt water and family always called them back to where they belonged. They had two sons: Errol born in 1955, and Craig born in 1959. They were happily married until Bill’s premature death on October 22, 1983. They are now reunited after 41 years apart.

When she was just 40 years old, she became a grandmother to Janice. She was delighted to become a grandmother again to Andrew 14 years later. But perhaps her favorite person on this earth was her great-grandson Elijah, who she lovingly called, “My Sweetnin.” 

She loved and cared for her family members all her life. She was always putting others before herself. She always called her family on their birthdays. If anyone in the family couldn’t remember someone’s birthday, they would call her to find out. She ended every visit and phone call with, “Call me when you get home, so that I know you got there okay.”

She always tried to find good in everything, and before she lost her two sons, Errol and Craig, she always wanted to make you laugh. The three of them were always joking around and finding humor in everything. If you happened to be in the room with them while they were watching “America’s Funniest Videos,” you couldn’t even hear the show over the sound of them laughing. Listening to them together was funnier than the show. 

She also loved to cook, and all her food was delicious even though it was a family joke that she cleaned the food so well that she scrubbed the taste right off the food. She just wanted to make sure the food didn’t include “guts, feathers, and all.”

She held many jobs throughout her life, but the two longest were at Huntley’s, and working with her husband Bill and sons at their shop, The Electric Motor Company, which was located on Mulberry Street in Beaufort (now considered Lennoxville Road). 

Her daughter-in-law Meri lives in Georgia, and since Craig’s passing last year, they remained in extremely close contact. She always looked forward to their phone calls and visits and has always considered her a daughter. 

Her first daughter-in-law, Angela Taylor Best, took her in and cared for her for the last few months of her life. She thoroughly enjoyed that time, sitting on the porch and looking at boats go by while her Sweetnin rode his bike back and forth.

She reveled in being a wife, sister, aunt, cousin, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and a great-grandmother. She will also be lovingly remembered as a dedicated woman of faith. She prayed for all of us every day and told us to always love each other. If you tried to make plans with her, her standard answer was, “If the good Lord’s willing.” Everyone who knew her was blessed that the good Lord was willing for 88 years. 

Grandmama, I wish you could have called me when you got there to let me know you’re okay.

She is survived by her granddaughter Janice Taylor Creel (John), grandson W. Andrew Taylor (Frances), great-grandson Elijah Creel, sister Jean Cole, brother Larry Cole, daughter-in-law Meri Bell Taylor, daughter-in-law Angela Taylor Best, plus many nieces, nephews, cousins, and too many close family members to list. Many of whom who had visited in the days prior to her death or were next to her bedside when she left this earth.

She was preceded in death by her husband William S. “Bill” Taylor, two sons: D. Errol Taylor and A. Craig Taylor, daughters-in-law: Glenda Beacham Taylor and Kay Taylor, an unborn great-grandchild, parents: William A. Cole and Addie G. Stafford Cole, sister: Ellen S. Dickinson, brothers: William M. Cole and Arthur Stafford, Jr., Aunts: Sue Emory and Dot Nelson.

Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noefs.net

Arrangements by Noe Funeral Service, Inc. of Beaufort, NC.