Royce Milton Taylor II

Royce Milton Taylor II, aged 70, passed away on November 6, 2025, at his residence in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Formerly a resident of Pekin, Illinois, Royce was born on January 3, 1955, to Royce Milton and Doris (Johnson) Taylor.

Royce grew up in Pekin and attended schools within the Pekin school system, ultimately graduating from Pekin Community High School in 1973. After completing high school, he worked for several businesses and factories in the Pekin area.

Demonstrating a commitment to personal growth and education, Royce went on to attend Illinois Central College and Illinois State University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education.

Royce devoted his career to teaching, beginning in Illinois where he worked for the Peoria School District and the Delavan School District. During his tenure at Delavan, he also contributed as a junior varsity basketball coach for seven years. Later, Royce continued his teaching career in the Pine Bluff School District, where he eventually retired.

Royce was an avid motorcycle dirt track racing fan, being a team member of DPC Racing for several years. Other hobbies included model railroading and collecting Beatles memorabilia.

Royce is survived by his wife, Jan, Bryan (Carmen) Taylor, John (Jill) Taylor, Julie (Scott) Mann, Tom (Sarah) Westfall, and Patrick (Jacquie) Westfall. Royce was Grandpa to 10 children: Aiden, Beau, Hudson, Luke, Owen, Ryan, Soloman, Victoria, Whitley, and Zachary. They are forever the pride and joy of his life.

A memorial service and celebration of Royce’s life is to be held Saturday November 29, 2025 at Henderson Funeral Home & Crematory. Visitation will begin at 12:00 followed by a memorial service at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donating to TAPS (tapsshelter.org) or the Pekin Boys and Girls Club (bgcpekinil.org).