Frances "Fran" Grubbs Taylor

Frances (Fran) Grubbs Taylor, 94, of Columbus, GA, died on November 5, 2023 at the Columbus Hospice House.

A private graveside service was held at Parkhill Cemetery according to McMullen Funeral Home and Crematory, 3874 Gentian Blvd. Columbus, GA 31907

Fran grew up in Hilton, GA along with her 7 siblings. She was a graduate of the PK Yonge School (1946) and attended the University of Florida. She was an outstanding athlete and played basketball and ran track. Later in life she became an avid swimmer, who also enjoyed long daily walks. She was a fixture at all of her children’s and grandchildren’s events and got great pleasure mingling with the other parents. Her family and extended family were always her primary focus. Her personal passion was baseball, specifically, the Atlanta Braves. She often drove alone to the games in Atlanta, especially when she could see her favorite player, Greg Maddox.

She was also a huge Elvis fan and collected his records, CD’s, and movies. Fran had the opportunity to see Elvis perform at Auburn in 1974. She fondly talked about this event her entire life.

Fran began her career as a bookkeeper for the Cairo Recreation Department and later utilized these skills to become a Budget Analyst at Ft. Benning (Ft. Moore). For 20 years she was annually awarded Exceptional Performance Certificates for her outstanding work. She retired from Civil Service in 1992.

A “modern” strong, independent woman with a lot of spunk, she was able to live alone in the home which she purchased following retirement. Confined to a wheelchair for the last 10 years, she remained self-sufficient and independent until 2022, when she required home healthcare.

Fran was thrifty. She never splurged on herself, yet kept track of every penny she earned and spent. She saved religiously with coupons and discounts.Yet as careful as she was with her spending and throughout difficult times, she sent her children and grandchildren small monetary gifts to let her children know she was thinking of them; Fran never failed to send money to celebrate births, weddings, birthdays, and tithe to her church. Fran was also a 50-year member of the First Baptist Church and attended services and Sunday School regularly.

Fran was a supportive and loving mother of 5 children who she always put first. She made certain that their education was at the forefront. All of her children graduated from college, most earning advanced degrees. She was openly proud of all their accomplishments.

Fran was the beloved daughter of Stella Mary Lee Dupree and George Franklin Grubbs. She is survived by 2 of her siblings, Lewis Grubbs of Buchanan,GA, and Sallie Calhoun of Columbia, AL. Fran had 5 children. She was preceded in death by one of her sons, Bruce Robert Taylor and is survived by: Tom Taylor, Jr (Diane) of Cairo, GA; D. Craig Taylor, Sr. (Susan L. Bryant) of Columbus, GA; Lynn Stamps (Michael) of Ft. Myers, FL; and Chris Taylor (Kathy), of Lilburn, GA. Additionally, Fran is survived by 7 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.

Fran’s unwavering love, devotion, and guidance for her family will forever be cherished and missed.