Casper R. Taylor Jr., a businessman and one of the longest-serving member of the House of Delegates who rose to become speaker died in his sleep Monday morning at the age of 88. Taylor was born on December 19, 1934 and passed away at his home in Cumberland, Maryland on April 24, 2023.
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After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1956, where he was a member of the Air Force ROTC, Taylor started out his career as a restaurant owner, and was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1974.
He used his position to boost Western Maryland, a part of the state that has more affinity with neighboring communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania than with the rest of the state and was often overlooked by most of the state’s power elites, who were concentrated in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., regions.
Among his legacies was bringing the Rocky Gap resort and golf course to a state park along Interstate 68 in Allegany County.
Elected to the House of Delegates for the 1975 legislative session to represent District 2A, Taylor served until 2003 after losing his seat in the 2002 election.
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However, he was ousted by angry voters in 2002 after shepherding gun control legislation through the General Assembly. Another reason for his defeat was the redrawn legislative district lines that added four heavily Republican precincts in Washington County to his traditionally Democratic district based around Cumberland.
While a full list of survivors was not immediately available Monday evening, Taylor, in addition to his son Brendan, is survived by another son, Dane Taylor, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
He was married to Polly Taylor for 64 years until her death in a car crash in 2021.
According to an online death notice posted Monday afternoon, the family will receive friends at the Scarpelli Funeral Home in Cumberland on Friday (April 28) from 4 to 7 p.m. A Christian wake service will be held at 7 p.m.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cumberland on Saturday (April 29) at 1 p.m., and interment will be in Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery.
Casper R. Taylor Jr. net worth at time of death
How much was Casper R. Taylor worth at time of death? Casper R. Taylor Jr., the politician cum businessman had an estimated net worth of $5million at time of death.
In January 2007, the new House of Delegates office building in Annapolis was named after him and in May 2022, the Baltimore Street Bridge in Cumberland, Maryland was also named after him, a testament of his remarkable leadership.
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