In Memoriam: Taylor Gammon

On March 11, 2020, the University of Calgary campus flag will be lowered in honour of Taylor Gammon.

Taylor died in a tragic accident while hiking near Canmore, Alberta. She had completed two years of undergraduate studies at UCalgary, and her big heart, beautiful smile, amazing sense of humour and sharp intellect will be greatly missed by those whose lives she touched in our campus community.

Taylor was born and raised in Calgary. A natural athlete, she spent many years as a gymnast and competitive figure skater but also enjoyed golf, tennis, swimming and skiing. She most recently had taken up indoor climbing, and it had become her new passion. Taylor was never hesitant to try new things and so, at age 19, began cello lessons. Her interests were wide and varied, as was apparent from her love of reading, Broadway musicals and music in general, collectible reborn dolls, documentaries, and all dogs, especially golden retrievers.

Taylor excelled in math and, although she wasn't yet sure of her final plans, entertained thoughts of one day teaching it at the university level. She loved university and was extremely happy to meet new people and make new friends. Taylor will be remembered by many at UCalgary as a bright light in our campus community – someone who genuinely wanted to help those around her and freely gave of her time and knowledge for the benefit of others.

Even though Taylor’s life was severely impacted by the death of her father, her courage, strength and kindness made her a source of help for others. She had enormous compassion for children battling cancer and regularly donated her hair to make wigs for them.

A Celebration of Life will be held to honour Taylor in the Elbow Valley Reception Centre at Eden Brook Funeral Home on Saturday, March 14, at 2 p.m. Memorial donations can be made directly to the Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta in memory of Taylor.

Taylor’s obituary, as well as a place to leave condolences, can be found here.