Taylor Neil Withrow III

Remembering Taylor

Taylor Neil Withrow III, 81, of Amarillo, Texas, was born on November 28, 1944, in Florida. Taylor grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was a member of his high school swim team. He continued swimming while earning his bachelor’s degree in engineering at the University of Nebraska. He also participated in Navy ROTC. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the Navy Seabees and completed two tours in Vietnam. He was honorably discharged and accepted into the master’s program in civil engineering at Northwestern University.

In the fall of 1969, Taylor needed a date for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln homecoming game. His mother and Lil’s older sister arranged a blind date for them. That introduction led to their marriage on January 9, 1971. Their marriage spanned 55 years. They joked that it was an “arranged” marriage.

Taylor began his career in St. Paul and later moved with Lil to South Africa, where their son, Christopher, was born. After returning to the United States, they lived in Maryland, where their daughter, Sara, was born. The family later lived in Nebraska, Saudi Arabia, and Illinois before settling in Amarillo in 1984, where they still reside.

For 25 years, Taylor worked for the City of Amarillo as a civil engineer specializing in traffic and transportation. After he and Lil retired in 2010, they devoted much of their time to traveling. Between trips, they enjoyed cheering for their grandchildren at high school sporting events and watching them grow into responsible young adults.

As a cradle-born Episcopalian, Taylor was an active steward of his faith. Finding a church home in each place the family lived was always a priority. Over the years, he served as a Sunday school teacher, reader, acolyte master, vestry member, treasurer, and member of the breakfast team.

This quiet, reserved man was active in the community as a math tutor for high school students, a yoga teacher at Amarillo College, and a participant in Amarillo Little Theatre. He served on the theatre’s board and was a founding member of the Producers Circle. He was also an avid runner, hiker, swimmer, snowboarder, bicyclist, and adventurer. He switched from skiing to snowboarding at age 50 and made his first skydive at 60, then another at 70.

He died peacefully on October 21, 2026, at the Veterans Hospital. The family is immensely grateful to the nurses and staff at the Thomas E. Creek Medical Center and Veterans Hospital for the care Taylor received.

Carrying on his memory are his wife, Lil; his children, Chris and his wife, Mia, and Sara and her husband, Anthony; his grandchildren, Evan and Tessa; and his sisters, Eve Withrow, Nan Hemme, Carol Van Steenberg, and Vicki Van Steenberg. His extended family includes a sister-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and special friends.

He was preceded in death by his mother, stepfather and sister.

Service arrangements are through Boxwell Brothers. A remembrance service will be held on November 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Amarillo, Texas. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; Amarillo Little Theatre, 2019 Civic Circle, Amarillo, TX 79109, or www.amarillolittletheatre.org; and the Alzheimer's Association (Alzheimer's Association ).