Gary "Ricky" Paul Taylor Sr. was born July 17, 1955 at DC General Hospital. in Washington, D.C. Ricky was adopted as an infant and blessed to become the only child of his proud, doting parents Paul and Margarette Taylor, who loved him unconditionally. Gary departed this life on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at the Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, Maryland surrounded by the love and presence of family. Ricky attended DC Public Schools throughout his childhood and graduated from McKinley Tech High School in 1973. He then went on to attend college at Monmonth University in New Jersey. Ricky was an Electrician by profession. For many years he worked for Amtrak Railroad until his retirement. As his pastimes, Ricky loved playing chess: he was a chess afficionado. He faithfully attended his weekly Chess Club meetings, traveling across the local District, Maryland and Virginia (DMV Chapter) to attend them. He also would participate and compete in the Annual Chess Conference. He taught the game of chess as a business enterprise. "Gary's School of Chess and would encourage others to play. tutoring family members and local cilden on the tactics of the game. Along with chess, Ricky enjoyed studying martial arts, playing tennis, reading books and also writing poems and poems and books. He wrote his first book and became a published author of the book titled, "Love Deprived". Ricky married Robin Wright Hairston and from that union were born two children. Gary Paul Taylor Jr. and Tinisha Taylor. Ricky spent a number of his years searching for his biological family. Finally after extraordinary effort and diligent search, in 1998, he located his biological siblings; three sisters, Veronica Graves, Victoria Pendegraph, and
Michelle Pendegraph who all welcomed him into the family, and shared love with him. From that point on, Ricky spent many of his holidays and birthdays celebrating in the company of his sisters, brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces and cousins. He leaves one son Gary Paul Taylor Jr. one daughter Tinisha Taylor, three sisters Veronica Edwina Lyles Graves, Paula Victoria Marie Pendergraph (deceased), Michelle Pendergraph, one brother Carige Pendergraph (deceased), one brother-in-law marcus I. Graves, two nieces Talibah Pendergraph, Khadiyah Alia Ali Pendergraph, two nephews Lamont Pendergraph, Scott Pendergraph and many cousins and friends.