Ann Denise Taylor daughter of Marguerite (Riendeau) and Arnold Taylor was born in Manchester, New Hampshire September 14, 1951. She graduated from Immaculata High School where she was voted “athlete of the year” in her senior year, and from the University of Vermont as a Physical Therapist. She was an only child who spent a lot of time in nature and the mountains where she found solace. Her love of sports and the outdoors was clearly expressed by the happiness she felt while skiing, sailing, hiking, kayaking and camping. In her thirties she played basketball in a league, she later competed in tennis and always had a ski pass. She was an avid fan of the Utah Jazz and had a very successful orthopedic physical therapy and massage practice for more than forty years helping thousands of athletes and folks get back to what they loved. She participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics as a coach and medical professional.

In her youth she protested the war and was always ready to join any manifestation or demonstration that improved the quality of life for our planet. Taylor was sensitive, intelligent, discerning, she had a keen eye for light and appreciated all the arts. She loved original art and supported local artists. She was an epicurean who liked  the best things in life: gourmet food, expensive liquor, fine fabrics, custom jewelry, the best ski equipment and private helicopter ski tours in British Columbia.

She was feisty, a free spirit and was known as Dee Dee, Taylor, Annie and will always be remembered as one of the most beautiful and elegant skiers on the hill as well as an epic powder hound. She was an experienced mountaineer who had a knack of making fresh, deep tracks on any terrain. Her love for water, the ocean, Lake Champlain and sailing was contagious. She especially loved Vermont, Snowbird, coastal Maine, the Wasatch mountains in Utah and Quebec.  

Taylor was very passionate for many causes and had an indomitable spirit when it came to sticking up for the underdog. She was an advocate for women, a radical political force for justice and for those marginalized by patriarchal institutions and championed many worthy social causes. She had a special place in her heart for dogs, cats and all living things. Her animated storytelling will be missed along with the joie de vivre she brought to every occasion. 

She was a healer, a socialist at heart, a proud lesbian and a self-proclaimed hippie who cared about the environment and who volunteered and donated generously to those causes. 

She fought cancer valiantly for 28 years, 20 of those years with stage four breast cancer. Her uncanny ability to live in spite of very difficult circumstances gave hope, inspiration and encouragement to many people afflicted by cancer. The cancer’s progression along with the extended medical treatments she received took a toll on her physical and mental health and made her last few years extremely challenging both for her and for those who loved her. 

She is survived by her cousin Pierre Sylvestre and his wife Marjelaine Marcil of Laval, Quebec, their daughters Genevieve and

(Ann’s goddaughter) Annie, five grandchildren, cousins Lilianne, Gilles, Jean and Claude Riendeau of Quebec and her cousin Charles Woodbury of Manchester, NH, as well as many, many friends that she made family over the years. Taylor leaves behind a legacy of adventures, tales of laughter and truly crazy times with many people from around the world. She will be missed and we salute and celebrate a life well lived. 

A Mass for Ann will be offered at 8:45 am on February 13, 2022 at  Holy Cross Church,  416 Church Rd, Colchester, VT 05446.

There will be a memorial/celebration of life event for Taylor June 18, 2022 in Oakledge Park Burlington, VT.

We have created a special website for her where we can post stories and memories. Please go to

Gathering Us and post your thoughts and images.

We will post updates of the memorial here. In lieu of flowers you can donate on her behalf to the Peace and Justice Center, Boys and Girls Club and the Carbon Economy Series, an educational organization dedicated to the environment, teaching college students sustainability and how to reduce our carbon footprint or a charity of your choice. 

We are grateful to her caregivers who lovingly helped her transition at McClure Miller Respite House.