Late Councilman, Marine Honored At Parsippany Meeting

PARSIPPANY, NJ — When Council President Michael dePierro and William C. Taylor Jr. campaigned in 1981, they knocked on about 17,000 doors. As dePierro recalls, they wore out several pairs of shoes.

Although it's been a while since Taylor served on Township Council from 1981-83, now there's a way for Parsippany to always remember him. Officials invited loved ones to Tuesday's council meeting. Mayor Michael Soriano honored the late Taylor with a proclamation, before a plaque unveiling.

"There are some things that go beyond party and beyond partisanship, and that is service," Soriano said.

Taylor's dedication to service extended beyond Township Council. He served in the Marines, in which he was a decorated marksman and sniper, according to the proclamation. He was also part of the military police onboard the U.S.S. Springfield before his honorable discharge.

He owned the Texaco Station in Parsippany from 1975-85, from which he donated the chain-link fence that surrounds Parsippany Hills High School. He also owned a construction company that built more than 200 homes in the township.

Taylor died in 2019 at age 75.

"I miss him," dePierro said. "He was a lot of fun, a lot of jokes, always the marine. You couldn’t take the marine out of him. … I’m glad to see he got his due recognition now."

More coverage from Tuesday's Township Council meeting:

• Parsippany Tow Company: Our White Workers Are Hate-Crime Victims
• Parsippany Recycling Center Will Stay Open On Weekends After All

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