Robert B. Taylor, Jr. was born on October 13, 1920, in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, to Robert B. and Bertha V. Taylor. He graduated from Norristown High School as valedictorian in 1937, and with honors from Swarthmore College. He received his masters degree from Ohio State and his doctorate in organic chemistry from Penn State, where he also was an instructor. He joined DuPont in 1946 to do research on what was to become "Orlon", later spent 10 years working on patent problems for the Textile Fibers department, and was named Manager of the Corporate Central Patent Index in 1971. He retired from the Information Systems department in 1982.

He was President of the Delaware Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He sang in the choirs of Calvary Church, Hillcrest, and Christ Church. At Calvary, he also was a Vestryman, Junior Warden, and Senior Warden.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Phoebe Carson Taylor; his daughter and son-in-law, Kathryn and Brian Walters; his stepsons and their wives, Kevin and Marina Meehan, Robert and Gail Meehan, and Lawrence and Susan Meehan; his grandchildren Patrick and Elliot Walters, and Michael and Kathryn Meehan; and also a great-granddaughter, Alexandria Walters.

The funeral service will be held at 10 am on Wednesday May 16, 2012 at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, 505 E. Buck Road, Greenville, DE. Interment will be private.