Kathleen Haley

A Mass of Christian Burial for Kathleen Haley Taylor, 73, of Knoxville, will be held Thursday, June 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Knoxville. 

A Rosary will be held at the Pierschbacher Funeral Home (corner of Main and Harlan St) Knoxville, at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18th, followed with visitation from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.  Interment will be at the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Ringgold County.

Memorials can be left to St. Anthony's Catholic Church or St. Mary's in Pella, Knoxville Community Chorus, the Knoxville Library, Knoxville Area Community Hospital Infusion Center, and Marion County Humane Society.

Kathleen Patricia Moira Haley Taylor passed away on June 14, 2025, following an enduring battle with Crohn’s disease and cancer. She was born as Patricia Plunkett at Sean Ross Abbey Orphanage in Tipperary, Ireland, on March 23, 1952. She was adopted by Margaret and James Haley in October 1952. Kathleen flew over and lived with Margaret, James and an older brother Jim, who had also been adopted from Sean Ross Abbey.

Kathleen Patricia Haley was named by Margaret in memory of Margaret’s late sister Kathleen Carr. After her father James Haley’s death the family moved to Kansas City where Kathleen attended Catholic schools until they moved to Shenandoah in 1962.

Kathleen attended Shenandoah Community Schools from 6th grade until High School graduation. She was very active in school, participating in vocal, band, newspaper, musicals, honor society, students in cadet teachers and sang at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In home economics classes, she learned to sew for herself and made some of her clothes for school and fun. Just before graduation from Shenandoah in 1970, Kathleen passed her Water Safety Instructor class and began working as a lifeguard and swim instructor at Shenandoah’s outdoor pool. She continued lifeguard duty and swim lessons for the next 30 years.

Kathleen continued her education at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where she studied vocal music and band and as a minor, French. She continued singing at mass, helping with music at St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Center, sometimes singing at four masses per weekend. She graduated from UNI in May of 1974, where her mother and several of her aunts and uncles had also graduated. She continued her schooling at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, to earn her Master’s Degree.

Following college, she taught band and vocal music at Murray, Iowa, followed by Ogden, Orient-Macksburg, Whiting, Knoxville, Albia, Russell, and Ottumwa as well as numerous towns where she was a highly sought-after reliable substitute.

While at her first teaching position at Murray, she met Rolfe, a fellow teacher, who taught Industrial Arts at Murray. On June 10, 1976, Kathleen married Rolfe Taylor in Shenandoah. They lived in Carroll, Greenfield and Whiting as teaching positions shifted before finally settling in Knoxville. Kathleen and Rolfe welcomed two daughters: Kelly Marie Taylor (now Leeper) who was born in 1983 and Erin Colleen Taylor, born in 1986.

Kathleen loved teaching and loved the opportunity to share the world with her daughters and her grandson, Brendan, making the most of her time. She took them to the library, taught them to play piano, how to bake and sew. She took them to many shows at the Civic Center and encouraged them to participate in nearly everything, especially since she had fewer offerings.

Kathleen shared her love of helping others by having her daughters volunteer around town at the humane society and the food pantry. She made blankies for Birthright, so each of their babies got a soft, cuddly blanket. Kathleen loved to sew dresses and little outfits for the girls and quickly became ready to snap photos at a moment’s notice, even gaining a reputation for being the “Kodak Queen”. She used holidays as an opportunity to decorate and celebrate, often showcasing a decorated cake or Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day. She enjoyed taking her baking and sewing creations to the county and state fairs. When she had extra baked goodies, they were quickly shared with neighbors and friends.

In 2000, the Taylor family took a trip to Ireland and connected with Kathleen’s birth mother and family in Tipperary and Cork, Ireland. She discovered her mother Elizabeth Darmody, sisters Carmel Burke, Ann Kennedy, Deirdre Cronin, brother Liam Darmody, Aunt Esther Williams and Uncle Tom Plunkett. Kathleen continued to keep in touch with her Irish family since their meeting.

Besides Ireland, Rolfe and Kathleen enjoyed traveling to Hawaii and some National Parks. Kathleen especially loved Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore. Kelly and Kathleen visited the Gateway Arch National Park. As a family, they also traveled to Disney World and Branson, Missouri.

Kathleen was a proud alum of Shenandoah, UNI and NWMS, attending homecomings and reunions when possible. Her Irish heritage was a point of pride for her as well. She was a devout Catholic, attending mass religiously and was active in St. Anthony’s church choir. She also sang in Knoxville Community Chorus and played clarinet in the Pella City Band.

Kathleen lived with Crohn’s disease and required several surgeries and intense medications that led to other complications and further surgeries and treatments. She fought Crohn’s disease, colon and breast cancer and their side effects for over 50 years. She maintained a positive attitude and found joy in her family, her teaching, and her music.

Those left to remember Kathleen include her husband Rolfe Taylor, daughters Kelly (Drew) Taylor Leeper and Erin (Kevin Brown) Taylor; grandson Brendan Leeper; siblings Carmel (Michael) Burke, Ann (Dick) Kennedy, Liam (Barbara) Darmody, Deirdre (Liam) Cronin; and many cousins, relatives and friends.