Brooks Merrill Taylor

Brooks Merrill Taylor, 44, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, November 17, 2022 in Elk Grove, CA.

Brooks was born on December 31, 1977 in Modesto, California to Mary Lue Abbot and Clarence Reuben Taylor, the youngest of eight children. Growing up he was the favorite uncle to his 37 nieces and nephews.

He married the love of his life and best friend, AmyAnn Rupp on May 5, 2007, in the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple. In AmyAnn he found a true match, an eternal companion, who compliments his personality, competitive spirit, and zest for life.

Together, Brooks and AmyAnn, have five beautiful children whom they love and care for with all their hearts. Brooks is an amazing father, and in the short years he had with them on this earth, he devoted every spare moment to their nurturing and character development. He loved to play with them, do workouts with them, introduce them to new music, and teach them the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Brooks cherished being able to share his love of sports as well as teach them the finer points of sports. Brooks could often be found cracking jokes with his children. When asked by his own children, “What’s for dinner?” he frequently told them “twigs and dirt;” however, in reality, he was a fantastic chef.

From a young age, Brooks loved all things sports. He could always be found with a ball in his hands. He played soccer, basketball, football and ran track and field. His competitive nature served him well in his sports endeavors as well as his many other life pursuits. One of his favorite past times was playing board games with his nieces and nephews, a tradition that he continues with his children.

As a youth, Brooks earned the prestigious Eagle Scout award from the Boy Scouts of America. This pursuit instilled in him the value of hard work as well as setting and accomplishing goals.

Brooks served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in West Virginia, USA. Brooks loves the scriptures. His desire to study the words of his Savior Jesus Christ led him to frequently share their eternal truths with those he encountered on a daily basis. He had an incredible ability to absorb knowledge and share it with others in an easy and understandable way. In spite of being a night-owl, during the last several years Brooks woke at 5 AM to teach an early morning scripture class to local high school students. He loved and cherished his special time with these youth. Most importantly, Brooks not only personally studied and shared the words of the scriptures, he also lived, and whole heartedly believed their teachings and truths. He is a true disciple of Jesus Christ and a Covenant Keeper.

Brooks gave service in a very personal and quiet way, each and every day. He loved late night conversations with his family and sharing his wealth of knowledge with them. He could often be found at lunch with a student, documenting family reunions or special events, and reaching out to those on his mind, as well as performing simple acts of kindness.

As the son of a school teacher, Brooks believed in the importance of education. He graduated from Grace M. Davis High School in Modesto, CA. Brooks earned an Associate Degree from Modesto Junior College, Bachelor of Science from UCLA, Master of Business Administration from UC Davis, and Juris Doctorate from University of the Pacific. Brooks enjoyed working for the City of Modesto, the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and most recently as an attorney with his wife in their law firm.

Brooks’ passions include his family, the Lord, studying the scriptures, serving the youth of his church and community, cheering on his daughters at their soccer games, trading on the stock market, woodworking, snorkeling, his fantasy basketball and football leagues, and attempting to win all friendly competition’s against his wife. Brooks is a loyal friend and is blessed to have many close life-long friends whom he treasures. He loves to laugh, tell humorous stories, and engage in light-hearted banter. His smile is infectious, and his magnetic personality and fun loving nature never fails to light up a room.

Brooks is survived by his loving wife, AmyAnn; daughters AveryAnn (11), Kate Caroline (9), Lauren Lue (7), Camille Dixie (4) and son Grant Brooks (11 months). He is also survived by his mother Mary Lue; brothers Curtis (Janet), Richard (Jill), Scott (Ann), Ron (Trisha), Rob (Tina); sisters Jennifer Forsberg (Dave) and Rebecca McDaniel (Dean); and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Clare Taylor.

The family wishes to thank all those who have shown loving support, generosity, and numerous acts of kindness. Interment will be at East Lawn Elk Grove Memorial Park, Elk Grove, California.

Here is the zoom information for the funeral service:
Link: https://zoom.us/j/92844813702?pwd=YXNkWDdVYkFBVXhybWt0eE1PZDNXUT09
Meeting ID: 928 4481 3702
Passcode: 054165