Sarah Kay Taylor Obituary

A memorial is being planned for a later date and time. Sarah will be laid to rest at Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to Westwood Garden Club or Kalamazoo Public Schools, in c/o the funeral home.

Sarah Kay Taylor age 82 of Kalamazoo passed away Friday afternoon, August 21, 2026. Sarah was born in Phelps, KY on October 2, 1943, the daughter of Warren and Elizabeth (Ward) Dotson. She attended Pikeville College and Morehead College in Kentucky and then later in life graduated from Kalamazoo Valley Community College with a degree in accounting. Sarah was a trailblazer and worked for many years for General Motors as a tool and die maker. She also worked for the Kalamazoo Public School system in developing the PEEP program, which is a headstart program for preschoolers. She loved children; her own children and grandchildren, but also the neighbor kids. She was an avid gardener and was a member of the Westwood Garden Club. Sarah and her companion Al enjoyed travelling together. They especially enjoyed cruises. They also just enjoyed being at home. She was very social and was well-known in the Westwood neighborhood. Sarah is survived by her son, Joey Dean Taylor; daughter, Elizabeth Taylor; daughter-in-law, Wendy Wood; grandchildren, Zachary Taylor, Allison Zentmyer, Dakota Byrum, Casey Crawford; great grandson, Silas; sister, Norma Jean Hunt; brothers, Warren (Eva) Dotson and Terry Dotson; sisters-in-law, Connie Dotson and Jean Dotson; several nieces and nephews; and many friends. Sarah was preceded in death by her parents; son, Kelly Taylor; brothers, Charles Dotson and Jerry Dotson; her long-time companion, Alfred Kowalik.