Stacey Swan Taylor, a retired professional educator, passed away from this earth on February 25, 2012 after a courageous battle with lung disease. She spent the last 25 years living in Sierra Vista, AZ. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Raleigh Taylor and her parents, Melvin and Carlotta Swan. She is survived by her daughter Ashia Carlotta Taylor and siblings Shelia Swan Morrell of Saint Louis, MO, Keith Swan of Los Angeles, CA, Kevin Swan of Saint Louis, MO, and Simone Candy Swan Logan of Atlanta, GA, along with friends that were like family to her, Sonia Rodriguez, Rosie Edmiston, and Jackie Barwick from Sierra Vista, AZ. Stacey earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from Harris Teachers College at Saint Louis University in Missouri and a library endorsement from the University of Arizona in Tucson. She was recently working on a Master of Arts degree in guidance and counseling. Stacey belonged to the National Association for Teachers and Phi Delta Kappa. She became the Chief Librarian at Bella Vista Elementary School in 1988 and served on various committees in the Sierra Vista School District. She transformed the library into the “Best Library Ever” and created an environment where children could become avid readers for the rest of their lives. She believed education had to change and was passionate about exposing children to books in various ways; she achieved this by making learning exciting and electric. Stacey loved to laugh and was passionate about living life to the fullest. She will never be forgotten by the lives she touched and will be greatly missed and always loved.
