STONE HARBOR – Services were scheduled to be held May 6, in Stone Harbor, for Robert Taylor, 74, a former municipal attorney, judge and Cape May County prosecutor, who died April 28 surrounded by his family.
Taylor practiced law in Stone Harbor for over 40 years and served as the municipal prosecutor in Middle Township, West Cape May, and Lower Township. He was also a municipal attorney for Middle Township and West Cape May and municipal court judge for Middle and Lower townships.
After closing his private practice, Taylor became the Cape May County prosecutor from 2004-2017, when he retired. During that time, he created the Special Operations and Planning Section (SWAT) and created and expanded a Community Outreach Unit that provided multiple education programs to help combat such things as the opioid crisis, school bullying and domestic violence.
“Bob (Taylor) made the County Prosecutor’s Office into a modern and innovative law enforcement agency that provided me with a legacy to preserve and expand upon,” said County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland. “County residents and I owe Bob (Taylor) a debt of gratitude and I intend to honor that debt by always striving to make the prosecutor’s office a premier law enforcement agency in New Jersey.”
Taylor was a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, president of the Cape May County Bar Association and Democratic Chairman for Cape May County. He was a charter member for the Stone Harbor Rescue Squad, where he volunteered his legal services. He was also a member of St. Brendan the Navigator Parish, St. Paul’s Church, and the American Legion Post 331, in Stone Harbor.
Born in North Wildwood, Taylor grew up in Stone Harbor and spent many summers water skiing in the back bays and working at his family’s restaurant, Taylor’s Dairy Freeze, according to information supplied to the Herald.
He attended Stone Harbor public school and graduated from Middle Township High School where “Bullet Bob” ran track and played football. He attended James Madison University, where he was a founding member and the first president of the Eta Kappa Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity.
Taylor served in the U.S. Army from 1969-1971, when he was honorably discharged. He then attended and graduated from Washington and Lee University School of Law with a Juris Doctor and was admitted to the bar in 1974.
Taylor enjoyed golfing, reading, fishing, boating, playing pool, skiing, the beach, and, most of all, his family. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, his daughters, Tracy Hague and her husband, Travis, Jennifer Germanio and her husband Frank, Kathryn Thornton and her husband Mark, Robyn Taylor and her husband Drew, and Jenni Luteri and her husband George.
He is also survived by his sister, Nancy, and her husband Daniel Taylor-Lloyd, his grandchildren, Thomas Germanio, Emily Hague, Allison Hague, Gianna Torres and Anthony Brannon, and many loving nieces and nephews.
Interment was in the Cape May County Veterans Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Cape Assist, 3819 New Jersey Avenue, Wildwood, NJ 08260, or Family Promise, 505 Town Bank Road, North Cape May, NJ 08204. Condolences may be left at https://www.radzieta.com/.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
