Alarick Wingrove Taylor passed away peacefully at St. Vincent Carmel Hospital in Carmel, Indiana, on Tuesday evening, December 26, 2017, in his 94th year surrounded by family and friends. He was the beloved husband of Doreen Patricia Taylor (nee Harper); father of Brainerd Blyden-Taylor (Kimberlee), Paula, Phoebe, and MaryGrace Taylor Spalding; grandfather of Adrian Nash, Saba Blyden-Taylor, Meadow Taylor, Samuel Parchment, Jonathan Parchment, Michael-Andrew Spalding and Taylor-Marie Spalding; and brother of Katherine Taylor (pre-deceased), Ira Taylor, and Marie Wayner (nee Taylor).
He was born in 1923 in Nevis, British West Indies, to Richard Alfred and Irene (Blyden) Taylor, both God’s Bible School alumni, ministers, and pioneer missionaries of the then Pilgrim Holiness Church. He was the third of four children. In 1948, Wingrove also entered God’s Bible School to train for the ministry where he received a BA, ThB. In 1953, he married Doreen Harper and set out for Trinidad and Tobago to pastor the Belmont Pilgrim Holiness Church, later becoming District Superintendent of Trinidad and Tobago (1962-1964). In 1964, he moved with his family to Barbados to become president of the Caribbean Pilgrim College (1964-1974). It was renamed the Caribbean Wesleyan College after the merger of the Pilgrim Holiness Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church. During this period, he also pastored the Kew Wesleyan Church. He traveled extensively ministering in 49 different countries. In 1981, he received an MA in Ministerial Education from Indiana Wesleyan University and, over the course of his career, he was awarded four Doctorates of Divinity (honoris causa). It was his recognized leadership qualities that catapulted him into various positions of prominence in The Wesleyan Church and other religious schools and organizations. In 1974, he was elected General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Holiness Church (Caribbean Provisional General Conference of The Wesleyan Church), a position he held until 1994.
A man of high moral values, integrity and religious beliefs, thousands of people have been touched by his ministry. He will be greatly missed by family and friends alike.
Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, January 5, 2018, and from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018, at Trinity Church, 9709 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46250.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at the church at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018. The funeral will be livestreamed at www.encountertrinity.com/livestream.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Samantha Bouchie and Dr. Diane Buyer for their exceptional attention to detail in caring for Wingrove’s medical needs, as well as to Ms. Glenda Cobb for her tireless and unfailing home healthcare support. Thanks also to John Mark Storey and the staff at Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral Service.
Arrangements are entrusted to Needham-Storey-Wampner Funeral Service, North Chapel, 1341 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion, IN.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wingrove Taylor Scholarship at God’s Bible School and College, www.gbs.edu.
Online condolences may be made at www.nswcares.com.