John Vinje Taylor

John Vinje Taylor, age 74 of Deerwood, passed away at his home on March 24, 2026. He was born in Merrill, WI on October 17, 1951 to John and Alice Taylor. He was united in marriage to Sandra Snook on July 19, 1975 in Crosby.

John was a retired member of the Deerwood Fire Department from 1978 to 2019, serving as Fire Chief from 1991-2015; a Deerwood First Responder for 30+ years; served as a council member and as the Mayor of Deerwood; was a member of the MN State Fire Chiefs Board and served as a director for many years; a member of the Sno Serpents Club and the CRMC Diabetic Support Group.

John is survived by his wife, Sandy; two sons, Shawn (Laura) Taylor of Ramsey and Mark (Amber) Taylor of Deerwood; one daughter, Shannon (Larry Haux) Taylor of Deerwood; one sister, Jane (John Lynch) Benjamin of Cambridge; nine grandchildren, Benjamin, Joseph, Nathaniel, Andrew, Kennedy, Madison, William, Kathyrn and Daniel.

Preceding John in death are his parents and one grandson, Jackson.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Deerwood Auditorium. Arrangements are with the Koop Funeral Home in Crosby.