Brandy Nikole Taylor

Brandy Nikole Taylor

From an early age, Brandy was quite the character. She was spunky and as a baby and even more so as a little girl, born to Her Mother, Kathleen Marie Taylor, and her Father, Larry Gene Taylor, she had a modest but comfortable childhood in a big, warm house. The early years of her life were what could be expected for any happy child, lots of playtime, a trying but loving little brother that demanded as much of her company as he could get, a father and mother trying their best to create a life better than the one they had. Things were good. Things were comfortable.

At the age of 7, a divorce rocked her world, splitting her family as her mother and father were unable to reconcile their differences and made the decision to separate. This was the beginning of trying years for Brandy. The separation created a common situation where a lack of money made things measurably more difficult for her and her family. Her mother, Kathleen, tried desperately to ensure that her children had everything they needed, and as much of what they wanted as was possible. The difficulties that followed the separation were not to end for many years, but Brandy, being naturally resilient and very strong, made the best with what life had given her. She took the tough times in stride, all the while helping her mother care for her little brother. She was a protector, a fighter, and a caregiver without equal. Her tenacity and strength would not wane, would not falter, and would not fail her for many years.

A rough childhood had served her well, fortifying her resilience, bolstering her resolve, and increasing her drive to survive. Through her early teenage years, she became all that a rough and tumble childhood had forged her to be. Tough, forceful, and cognizant of her desires and ability were the best ways to describe her during teenage years, where she would prove to give life all the tough love it had given her years before. She truly made the world her own. At the young age of 16, she was blessed with a gift from above, a gift that would ultimately change things forever. Mitchell Darren Slade Taylor was brought into this world on June 17, 1998. Her firstborn son would be raised by the loving and compassionate hands of her entire family. Brandy and Slade's father, Chris Ford, would eventually be married and live happily for several years while Slade was young.

Following suit with the early years of life, the happiness was not to last. Brandy and Chris separated not long after Slade was born, but the spice of life was never lost to Brandy as she quickly reached for what made her happy. Her grasp commanded the attention of another profound love, Michael Tamblyn. Michael and Brandy spent many years together in warm and passionate embrace. They seemed to be the perfect couple. Years past, Brandy's hold on Michael's heart never faltered and this happy embrace would proliferate. Michael and Brandy's love yielded several gifts from god. Brandy would give birth to 3 more babies in the years to come. Kayla Jade Tamblyn, born February 21, 2001, Anton Michael Tamblyn, born May 23, 2002, and Syler Starr Tamblyn (named for his uncle Thad), born march 29, 2004 were the next blessing to befall Brandy, Micheal, and the rest of the family. Through their love, the family became full, brimming with life and love that would sustain them for eternity. Kayla, born several months premature, would grow to become a beautiful and fragile young woman, carrying all the fury and strength of her mother. Anton Michael Tamblyn (Ton-Ton or Chunk as his family called him) would be the young prince of the family for several years. Full of humor and life, love, and fearless innocence, he was a boy to the fullest possible meaning of the word. Syler Starr Tamblyn, the baby boy of the family, became the icing on the cake, the perfect accent to an already perfectly sweet and beautiful family.

Life though, can be fickle, and what life blesses us with, it can take away in an instant. The deaths of her two young boys, not far apart, would prove to be the burden that Brandy, as well as the entire family were far from prepared to handle. Syler would be the first major loss Brandy would endure. August 16, 2004, at the tragically young age of 4 months old, Syler was lost to his family while asleep in his crib, a death which would threaten to annihilate a perfectly normal, perfectly happy family. The shattering loss of the Syler sent Brandy into a downward spiral, one that would prove to be nearly impossible to return from, one that would be a dagger in the heart of the life the family had once known. The next few years were lost in a haze of depression. Broken hearts were plied, and the bitter taste of agony would be washed away through.

Not more than a handful of years after the loss of Syler, another unexpected death rocked an already unstable life. September 29, 2006 at the age of 4 years old, Anton Michael Tamblyn was also lost to the family in a horrible accident. The damage caused by yet another loss would become a demon that would haunt the Brandy forever. The next years of her life would be filled with uncertainty, fear, and a grief that consumed her beyond what most people can even imagine. The grief succeeded in tearing the family asunder, and Michael and Brandy, though still very much in love, separated not long after.

The following years were filled with anger and pain, assuaged by anything that would provide whatever slight relief was possible. She found herself away from her family for some time, a much needed reprieve from the ever present pain of her loss. Her time away was not to last though, as she had always been close to her family and found herself back in Wyoming after only two years. The pain had not left, but Brandy was able to muddle through, able to discover a new passion for life and revisit older desires. Her remaining children, Slade and Kayla, were very pleased to have her back, and she was pleased to be back in the embrace of those who love her. The years of grief and pain, as we can all expect, caused her to slip, stumble and fall occasionally, but she never stayed down for long.

Through a rough encounter with the law which threatened to take away everything dear to her, she found her priorities were renewed. Just as Brandy had always done, she stood up again and regained her composure, ready to take on the world and work for her happiness. She was rejuvenated, her lust for life stronger than ever. Her love for her friends and family brought her full circle, back to the embrace of warm and caring relationships, a place she very much belonged. The next years of her life, though they would prove to be her last, were spent in a valiant attempt to create a life for herself and her children. She clung to her family, especially her mother, Kathy, her eldest son, Slade, and her only daughter, Kayla. The unconditional love they shared would keep alive the dreams they shared, would keep them afloat through anything, even the pain of loss which they all knew so well.

Though her death is as untimely as was the deaths of her young boys, her memory and love are eternal, everlasting in the minds and hearts of those who loved her, cared for her, and cherished the light she brought into the world. In memory of Brandy Nikole Taylor, born August 2, 1982, died December 7, 2013, let us all love as fiercely, live as vibrantly, be as fearless in our pursuit of happiness, and be as repentant in our actions as she was.
To a perfectly flawed women, to a guardian, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a best friend… You will always be missed, loved, and the happiness and love you brought into this world, and into our lives, never EVER forgotten.

We love you with every breath we take.

Goodbye Brandy…

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