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Obituary for Taylor Christian Yates
TAYLOR CHRISTIAN YATES July 17, 1990 - July 9, 2017
At 6'7" tall, Taylor Yates stood out in a crowd. Taylor was a reserved and fun loving young man whose smile and wry wit could light up a room. His optimism and will to live helped in his battle against lymphoma which finally took its toll on July 9, 2017, at age 26.
A native of Ridgeland, Taylor lived a full life surrounded by friends and family who loved him. Taylor was born on July 17, 1990 to Bobby and Anne Yates. He was a 2009 graduate of Madison-Ridgeland Academy, and went on to major in Architecture at Mississippi State University.
In late 2010, Taylor was diagnosed with liver disease that forced him to put his education on hold. After 3 months in the hospital, Taylor was blessed to receive a donor liver during the 2010 Thanksgiving holidays. The transplant allowed Taylor to resume his education in the fall of 2011. He finished his 4th year of Architecture in the spring of 2015. From there, he completed a one year internship with an Architecture firm in Franklin, TN in July 2016. He began his fifth and final year of Architecture school in August 2016, only to be diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma several weeks later. Despite all his health issues, Taylor always kept a resilient and positive spirit.
While at Mississippi State, Taylor met and fell in love with fellow Architecture student, Laura Cole. For nearly three years, they have been inseparable. During the time that they have been together, Laura has been a loving companion, friend and comfort to Taylor. During the final stages of Taylor’s life, Laura and Taylor participated in a blessing of their relationship performed by our minister. Her presence and commitment have been a blessing to Taylor and our family. We are so grateful that she is a part of our lives.
Taylor is survived by his parents, Bobby and Anne Yates of Ridgeland, MS, brother, Austin Yates of Birmingham, AL, maternal grandparents Denman and Polly Bridges of Balsam, NC, and the love of his life, Laura Cole of Biloxi, MS. Taylor was preceded in death by paternal grandparents, Herman and Joy Yates.
A memorial service to honor Taylor’s life will be held at Parkway Hills United Methodist Church in Madison, MS on Friday July 14 at 2:00 pm. Visitation will be held on Thursday July 13 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Parkway Hills UMC.
Taylor’s family would like to express our gratitude to the very generous liver donor that allowed Taylor to enjoy nearly 7 additional years of life; the physicians and staff of the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the University of Alabama Birmingham hospitals for their constant, attentive treatment; the Mississippi State University School of Architecture faculty and staff for their patience, understanding, and assistance in shaping Taylor's education around his health issues; grandparents Denman and Polly Bridges for putting so much of their lives on hold to help with Taylor's care (both during the liver transplant and during lymphoma treatment); and to Laura Cole for her love, care, and dedication to Taylor. We also thank Taylor’s many friends from MRA and MSU, and we thank all our family, church and friends for their constant prayers and support given to our family in this very difficult time.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the UMMC Bone Marrow Transplant Support Fund (www.umc.edu/givenow, UMMC options; or mail to Developmental Accounting, 2500 North State St, Jackson, MS 39216-4505). Also please consider becoming an organ donor so that others may live.
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