January 29, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
About 400 people attended the funeral for Elk City’s “very own” storm chaser along with Reed Timmer and The Dominator.
38-year-old Joel Taylor’s crowded funeral was held at Elk City’s First Baptist Church. The front circle drive was lined with storm chasing vehicles from many of the Oklahoma City television stations as meteorologists and other weather men and women came to pay tribute to one of the most famous-of-all storm chasers.
Taylor who died last week aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico, was best known for appearing along side his OU meteorology classmate, 37-year-old Reed Timmer in the 2004 PBS documentary, Tornado Glory and later co-starring with Timmer on the TV reality series, Storm Chasers in the late 2000s. The show ended in 2012.
Timmer eulogized his friend on Twitter last week writing, “RIP, my best friend and storm chasing partner, Joel Taylor.”
According to news reports, Taylor passed out on the dance floor of the Harmony of the Seas ocean liner and was taken back to his room by two people the night before his death.
The Discovery Channel which aired the television show issued a statement saying they were saddened to hear about Taylor’s death and will always remember him fondly as an incredible meteorologist and driver of the famous storm chasing vehicle, The Dominator. They added that their thoughts and prayers were with Taylor’s family and friends.
Taylor is survived by his parents, Jimmy and Tracy Taylor of Elk City, as well as his brother and sister, Jason and Jillian.
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