Advertisement

Darrach G. (Rick) Taylor

Share

Rick Taylor, Long Beach Executive,

Darrach G. (Rick) Taylor, long time Human Resource & Labor Relations executive died on February 8th of 2012. Rick was recognized for his expertise, imagination, and skill in labor relations and contract negotiations, and for developing harmonious and productive work forces worldwide.

Rick was born in 1934 in NYC, coming to Los Angeles in 1938. He was a product of LA city schools, St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hollywood, and the Boy Scouts, where he earned the highest Eagle Scout rank. He entered USC in 1951, became a Naval officer candidate, along with membership in Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He graduated in 1955 with a BA degree and a commission in the US Navy.

Rick served as a destroyer officer, with deployments to the Western Pacific, aboard the Pearl Harbor based USS FOSS, later aboard the USS HANSON out of San Diego, and after recall for the Vietnam War, aboard the Long Beach based USS VAMMEN. Lastly, he was operations officer for ResDesDiv11, also in Long Beach. After 11 years active and reserve Naval service, he retired (honorary) as a Lieutenant Commander.

Advertisement

Rick’s business career began as an industrial relations management trainee, ultimately a manager, for American Potash & Chemical Corp in LA in 1959. He joined the Carnation Company in 1967 as a corporate labor negotiator. In 1973, he was recruited by Borg Warner Corp.’s Byron Jackson Pump Division in LA as Director, Industrial Relations, and later VP, responsible for implementing a sophisticated, worldwide human resources & labor relations programs. The succeeding Borg Warner Industrial Products subsidiary became an independent company, BW/IP Int’l Inc. in Long Beach (now Flowserve Corp.), through a leveraged buyout in 1987, in which he was an investor. He was elected VP, Human Resources and a member of the executive committee, retiring in 1998.

He and his wife Dee of 46 years, the love & rock of his life, have lived in Huntington Harbour since 1973, while enjoying both a second home in Coronado, CA (1991) and traveling the world, to nearly 100 countries and territories. He served on the City of Huntington Beach Personnel Commission for eight years, five as either chairman or vice-chairman. He published a family life history, entitled Fair Winds and Following Seas and book of short sea stories, Bravo Zulu.

In addition to his wife Dee, he is survived, by his son Greg Sterling, daughter in law Malia of Minden, NV, and son Scott Radnor of San Diego, CA, grandsons Luke Sterling, Daniel Radnor & Connor James, and granddaughter Caitlin Kailani.

A service celebrating the joys of life was held at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach on March 3rd, 2012. Half of his ashes was scattered at sea and half was interred at Pacific View Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Rick’s name [Darrach (Rick) G. Taylor, LCDR USN (RET)] to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Semper Fi Fund, or American Heart Association.

Advertisement