Obituary of Mary Margaret Taylor

Mary Margaret (Bender) Taylor, 67, of Colorado Springs, Colorado passed away at her home after a courageous year of life following a diagnosis of glioblastoma.�Born in Wichita, Kansas, Mary attended�Emporia State University on a collegiate field hockey scholarship. After her undergraduate studies, she pursued a graduate degree at Colorado State University. There she met Howard Taylor, the love of her life and husband of forty-two years. Mary and Howard lived a life of adventure with their three children, living in various cities across the country. From Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Wichita, Kansas, to Chandler, Arizona to Lafayette, Indiana. Mary pursued her passion for education as a high school math teacher and college academic advisor. Following their retirements from Purdue University in 2019, Mary and Howard settled into retirement in Colorado Springs, Colorado to enjoy time with their children and grandchildren. Mary loved to bike, fish, and play golf. In her lifetime, she ran several half marathons and a marathon. She was the International Pancake Race Winner in 1977. She was competitive in a wide variety of sports. Mary will always be known for her kindness, love for competition, her ability to make anyone feel at home, and her beautiful faith.�Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Melvin and Isabella (Scotty) Bender.She is survived by her husband, Howard Taylor; her three children, Steven (Kandyce) Taylor, Sarah (David) Fournier, and Amy (Philip) Dittmer; six grandchildren, Adelaide Taylor, Isabella Taylor, Clayton Dittmer, Gavin Fournier, Taylor Dittmer, and Camille Fournier; and four brothers, Michael Bender, Edward Bender, Robert Bender, and David Bender.��Donations in Mary's memory can be made to the�Glioblastoma Foundation at https://glioblastomafoundation.org;�or you can directly send support in honor of Mary to a�young boy�and his family who recently learned of his brain cancer diagnosis at https://www.gofundme.com/f/2cqyxm-help-jacob-battle-cancer.