Scott and Carol Taylor’s 56-year marriage
MYSTIC NEIGHBORS FEB. 2022
Scott and Carol describe their first connection as, “We met in college and knew at first glance that this was for a lifetime.” And so, it was. The darling pair celebrated their first fifty years of marriage with a motor tour across the United States and parts of Canada dubbed, “Fifty days for fifty years.” The trip showcased magnificent National and start parks and the freedom of traveling without hotel reservations. Carol says, “Each evening, we would stop at a hotel, preferably a ‘mom and pop’ and share that we were on a ’50 days for 50 years’ tour on a limited budget. Our declarations of enduring romance promoted sweet responses from hotel managers and others. What a monumental step up from our, camping without a tent, Canadian honeymoon.”
Before the epic cross-country adventure, the hardworking duo completed multiple college degrees and enjoyed careers in higher education. Then, they added two fabulous children. Todd, a Coast Guard Academy professor who lives in East Lyme with his wife and two children, and Ginger, and office manager on Cape Cod, where she thrives nature’s bounty. Carol and Scott describe their best memories together as the birth of their children and the ability to help them negotiate satisfying paths.
Scott severed in Student Activities as Dean of Students and worked in Alumni Relations and Development. Carol was an executive assistive to the President at Springfield College (in MA) and Northeastern University.
In 1999, Ginger won a national FTD Florist poetry content describing her mom, among 2500 submissions. The grand prize was a trip for four to Pasadena, California, for the Rose Bowl Parade and football game. FTD spokesperson, Merlin Oslon, hosted a private New Year’s Eve party, then a 5-hour New Year’s Day ride on a Rose bowl float entitled “Mother’s Day.” The Taylors shared the float with Shirley Jones, Marion Ross, and Cynthia Harris, who enjoyed a special luncheon with the actresses and their families, and their hotel rooms overflowed with flowers, gift cards, champagne, cameras, and other goodies. What a memorable adventure!
Ten years of managing a yacht club on Cape Cod produced lifelong friendships and precious memories. The family had a 27-foot sailboat Todd refurbished after Hurricane Bob in 1991, but the favorite was an old-fashioned Newfoundland fishing dory that Scott’s father made for them. Scott is a Newfoundlander, so the boat’s style and origins held a special meaning. The kids said they might as well be running an Inn and suggested an e-mail Scott and Carole still use today: [email protected].
Expansive vistas and recreation have always been a magnet for Carol and Scott, who enjoy wilderness camping, hiking, swimming, and outdoor games. They frequently kayaked and bird-watched in and out of the channels of Cataumet, MA, where they lived on Cape Cod. Carol says, “Our children and grandchildren were hardly out of diapers when they started to kayak with us in the Scraggy Neck community. Observing osprey and other ocean birds while floating silently in the bird’s environment cultivated a deep respect for and appreciation for nature.
Carol has endured medical challenges, including advanced breast cancer, chemotherapy, and an experimental bone marrow transplant. Complications require Carol to do hours of pulmonary therapy each day. Colon cancer promoted early retirement and a solo East coast motor trip. Aggressive but necessary medical treatment resulted in hearing loss and double vision, but she can handle all of it because Scott is “the wind beneath her wings.”
When they no longer wished to maintain their own home, the couple decided that Mystic was where they wanted to live, and StoneRidge Active Retirement was a good fit. The services, accommodations, and lifestyle accommodate active, retired lives. Unfortunately, they gave their kayaks to young Cataumet neighbors before learning about the excellent kayaking at their Connecticut doorstep.
Scott and Carol share prominent attractions like Mystic Aquarium and Mystic’s Seaport Museum with visitors. Who can beat downtown Mystic’s shopping or luscious food from S&P Oyster and Mystic Drawbridge ice cream? Scott says, “Coming from the beauty of Cape Cod, we are pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous scenery in Mystic with country roads, stone walls, historical settings, and stunning ocean vistas.” They long for current, local map highlighting year-round community points of interest but understand that the ebb and flow of this community is as much about the people as the shared history. Changes keep life vibrant.
The energetic couple encourages others to enjoy the well-appointed YMCA, COMO recreation programs, The Men’s Club of Mystic, and the Mystic Rotary to meet wonderful, welcoming folks. Scott attends Old Mystic Methodist Church and plays racquet sports while Carol walks several miles per day. They appreciate the numerous houses of worship to gather, serve, and connect. They donate blood and support Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) in New London, preparing individuals for entry-level careers. Carol and Scott support their alma mater, Springfield College, and enthusiastically volunteer on committees at StoneRidge. They cheer for the New England Patriots and Tampa Ba Buccaneers and have volunteers for Hospice and the American Cancer Society. Above all, they cherish moments and visits with their children and grandchildren.
Carol and Scott describe the pivotal role their decision to move to StoneRidge made as a “liberating 360-degree turn in blessings in a carefree, satisfying life.” Turning over time-consuming details to staff allows them to focus on what is essential: growing relationships and helping others have fun. They are grateful to be healthy enough to bring joy and fun into their community. Carol says, “We have found value in being members of a close-knit community.” What resonates is how courageously those around them meet challenges.
A new bocce court and the Avalonia walking trails adjacent to the StoneRidge property encourage fresh air, exercise, and fellowship. Those same amenities encourage conversation, contemplation, and handholding. Mystic is so very romantic, and why visit when you can live out your romance here?
