Jake John Taylor, age 25 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died suddenly on Thursday, September 2, 2021 in Raritan Township, NJ as a result of the tropical storm.

Born on October 22, 1995 at Hunterdon Medical Center, Raritan Township, NJ, he was the son of Stephen and Vanessa Lane Taylor and was a lifelong area resident.

A 2014 graduate of Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Jake was an extremely hard worker who often held several jobs at once. Over the years he had worked at AMC theaters in Bridgewater; in the food service department at Hunterdon Medical Center; the Flemington Department Store; Kohls; and was most recently employed as a team member at Chick-fil-A, Flemington NJ, where he was adored by all those with whom he came into contact.

Innocent, generous, humble, determined and mentally strong, Jake was one of the most non-judgmental people anyone ever met. He always encouraged everyone to be themselves, as he himself was truly one of a kind.

Having many hobbies and interests, Jake loved to learn and you could find him learning about ancient Egypt and then playing fantasy football, all in one sitting. He’d be watching a chick-flick on the Disney Channel one moment and then a deep and philosophical documentary on the National Geographic Channel the next.

Always wanting to help the underdog, Jake was a Taekwondo teacher with ATA in Flemington. Having earned a black belt himself, Jake taught his students to always stand up for themselves and for what they believed in. He did not want them to learn martial arts to fight, but rather to use the art of Taekwondo as a foundation for being a good and kind human.

Family and friends were very important to Jake and he grew up as the middle child in his Bristol Avenue neighborhood. His parents, siblings and friends fondly remember Jake as sweet and carefree, and the kid who would make the goofiest faces that would keep them laughing constantly. It was his confidence as well as his sweet innocence, which inspired them each to grow and become better versions of themselves daily.

Jake enjoyed playing board games and card games, as well as watching every game show ever created on television. He loved every holiday as it was a time for family and friends to gather and just have fun and celebrate together; from Easter Egg hunts, to trick or treating, to cheering for his Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, Jake just enjoyed having fun! He was also fond of playing sports, and was always outside playing various sports with the neighborhood kids.

The night of September 1, 2021 is forever etched onto the hearts of so many people as our community was forever changed. Mother Nature’s power came quickly, and the reality is that we will never know exactly what happened to Jake and the five others who perished in Hunterdon County. The reality of never knowing exactly what happened to Jake that night is something that his family and close friends hope you do not dwell on, as that will only be an anchor. Instead, they hope all those reading this remember that sometimes it is better to just stay put where you are safe, and of course to never, ever go around any road barriers or drive though any flooded areas or roadways. The Taylor family would like to thank all those first responders who put their lives on the line searching for Jake and ensuring that he was brought home.

Though Jake’s life was cut short, his legacy has certainly not been truncated. His twenty-five years on Earth have forever change the hearts of all he knew for the better. Always enjoying music, Jake enjoyed writing lyics as well as composing inspirational thoughts- ‘Jake-isms’- for his family and friends. One of his sayings that he was fond of telling people was, “Keep Glowing, Keep Growing, Keep Going…” and the other, from the Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift movie was, “Make choices and don’t look back…”.To honor Jake is to let your light shine everyday, to become a better person with each passing day by educating yourself, and to never stop reaching for the stars.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Harry John and Ethel Marge Taylor; an uncle, Danny Taylor; his rabbit, Thumper; and his golden retriever, Casey (K.C.).

Surviving, in addition to his parents, are his older brother, Matthew Taylor; his younger sister, Becca Taylor; his maternal grandparents, Jean Payton and Darryl and his wife, Shirley Lane; his aunts and uncles, Sharon Dzurak, Michael Lane, Mark Lane, Jeannie Payton, and Carol and Mark Foutch; the family dog, Teddy; several extended family members; and many dear friends.

Jake will lie in repose on Thursday, September 9, 2021 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A life celebration service will follow the gathering beginning at 7:00 p.m., officiated by Rev. Thomas Roberts and certified Life Celebrant D.J. Wright and to which all are welcome.

Interment will take place privately.

Realizing that some may be unable to attend due to the pandemic, the Life Celebration Service on Thursday will be live-streamed, with the stream being active starting at 6:45 p.m. To watch, please click HERE and kindly ensure you do not have a pop-up blocker enabled. (If you are having issues with clicking above, please follow this link: https://livestream.com/aritonvideolive/jake).

You are encouraged to visit Jake’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

A champion of the underdog, Jake was always encouraging others and was a fierce advocate for those who were bullied. For those who wish to honor him, contributions in his honor may be made via a GoFundMe page, set up by his family, whose proceeds will assist with his life tribute as well as the majority going to an anti-bullying non-profit that has yet to be decided upon, but will be posted when known. Please click HERE to be taken to the page. Any and all amounts are greatly appreciated by the family as it is the thought that matters most.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”