‘Friend to everyone.’ Community mourns Charlotte father of four killed during Helene

Tony Taylor was a Charlotte father of four who treated everyone he met like family, his nephew, Stephen Barbour, said.

"Uncle Tony was a friend to everyone," Barbour recalled on the GoFundMe he started for Taylor's wife, Sandy Lucille Taylor, and the couple's children.

Taylor, 62, died when a neighbor's tree fell during Helene on his family's home on Brookway Drive, in northwest Charlotte's historic Hoskins neighborhood.

A 4-year-old girl and a 58-year-old man died in wrecks on Helene-slickened Charlotte-area roads.

Although Taylor's wife and four children survived, "the loss of such a kind and loving man has left a profound void," Barbour said on the GoFundMe site.

"For some time, we had been trying to get the tree removed, but since it wasn't on our property, there was little we could do," he said.

"Now, we are left not only to mourn the loss of a man whose smile could light up any room but also to support his grieving family through this incredibly difficult time," Barbour said.

By Saturday night, 81 people had donated a total of $4,476.

The top donation was a man's $500 contribution. A woman donated $100 with this message to the family: "I will be praying to Jehovah God our Heavenly Father to provide you comfort and peace in your time of grief and loss."

Barbour started the site Friday to help pay for his uncle's funeral expenses and repairs to the home, and to replace the family's belongings.

Donations also would help pay for a temporary place for the family to stay and to assist with day-to-day expenses, Barbour said.

"We are asking for any contribution to help support his wife and children as they rebuild their lives in the wake of this unimaginable loss," Barbour said.

"Your generosity means more than words can express, and we are deeply grateful for any support you can offer during this time," he said.