John Steven Taylor

The services celebrating the life of John Steven Taylor, age 58, of Sauk Rapids, will take place at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Grace United Methodist in St. Cloud. A visitation will be from 4:00 – 7:00 PM on Friday, April 17, at the church, as well as one hour prior to the service on Saturday. John passed away on April 3, 2026, with his family by his side. Arrangements are being made with Miller-Carlin Funeral Homes.

John was born on April 11, 1967, in Shakopee, Minnesota, to Steven and Glenda (Ekern) Taylor. He married Angela Pfarr on September 25, 1999, in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and their union welcomed two daughters into this world, Chelsea and Paige.

For 12 years, John served the Anoka‑Hennepin School District, where he took great pride in his work.

John was a truly selfless man who served others throughout his life. Whenever anyone needed help with any task, he was there with a smile and no complaints. His love languages were many, with acts of service near the top. Lending a hand on building and remodeling projects, volunteering for wiring jobs, making treasured gifts for his family, or reprogramming a remote for his father-in-law, no task was too big or too small for John to be there.

John was a fun-loving person who made the most of his too-short life. He was a dutiful son, remarkable brother, amazing father, devoted uncle, the best ‘Buppa’ to his grandkids, friend to all, and a one-of-a-kind husband.

He and Angela loved their life together, their family, and their awesome friends. In the earlier years of their marriage, they embraced raising their girls. He loved to watch them play soccer and dance in their shows. He made all his daughters’ friends feel special and loved, too.

He dutifully drove Angela north and south on weekends to attend football games, or hockey and volleyball tournaments where his niece or nephew was playing. From peewee hockey games to college football games, John could be seen cheering on his nephew in the stands. He never missed a special event with his loved ones.

As his daughters got older, family still came first, but friends became more of a focus too. Wonderful weekends every summer were spent hanging around a campfire throughout the state of Minnesota, with Two Harbors being one of their favorites. City on the Hill Christian Music Festival was an annual camping tradition in Duluth. Four-wheeler adventures where the muddier and dustier made it all the more fun. Music by the lake, bible study gatherings, and attending concerts were weekly activities with their friends.

John could make the most of any situation and always had a positive attitude. Most people would not have enjoyed spending their summer and fall in a hospital or at the Hope Lodge in Minneapolis, but he and Angela made the most of it by making friends wherever they went. They brought a special joy to everyone they encountered and lit the hearts of many. Even in his final weeks, he touched lives, including those at the Coborn Cancer Center.

The shoes John is leaving unfilled are too big to be filled by just one person. There are very few people in this world who serve and love as many people as fully as John did. The constant inquiries, loving texts, and visitors during John’s final month were proof of just how deeply loved and cared for John was.

John is survived by his loving wife, Angela Taylor, his daughters whom he cherished, Chelsea (Brady) Judovsky, Sauk Rapids; and Paige (Steven Anderson) Taylor, Grand Marais, two grandchildren, Brooks and Ziggy, his mother, Glenda Taylor, and his siblings, Natalie (Floyd Pfennestein) Rein, St. Augusta; and Dan Taylor, Sauk Rapids.

John was greeted in heaven by his father, Steven Taylor.

May the memories of the wonderful man John was encourage us all to be better, to live life more fully, to love others unconditionally, to not sweat the small stuff, and to embrace every moment we have. Let us live the kind of life John would have loved to continue living.