Marlene Taylor

Marlene Taylor was born in Jersey City, NJ on July 31, 1944 to the late Callie and Osie Dell Hannah. She was one of 13 children.  Born as “Merlene”, at the age of 17 she changed her name to “Marlene”.  Marlene was educated in the Scotch Plains, NJ school system, but by the order of her dad, she had to drop out of school at an early age to help take care of her younger siblings, during her mom’s illness. However, she later went back to school and earned her GED as well as her Bachelor’s Degree.

As a very young girl, she professed her faith in Jesus Christ at Shady Grove Pentecostal church, under the leadership of her dad, Bishop O.D. Hannah. She, and her siblings were not only in the choir, but they were the choir!

On December 20, 1961, Marlene married Harvey Nettingham. From that union three children were born, Karen Jenell, Charlotte Lynn, and Harvey Linwood III. After she and Harvey divorced, some years later, on December 7, 1979, she married Paul Taylor, her husband of 46 years, and became a mom to her fourth child, LT Taylor.

Marlene’s first job was working at Burroughs. After Burroughs closed down, she became a School Bus Driver for many years. Later, she changed professions and became a Mental Health Technician, and an LPN. Marlene was a hard worker and was never without a job. 

After Marlene retired in 2009, she created her own design company, Ms. Tee’s Designs. Her sewing room included applique machines, sewing machines, and many items that she had created. It was set up very professionally—just like a showroom.  Besides this, she still enjoyed crocheting. 

In her earlier years when Marlene was off for the summer from her bus driving job, she enjoyed watching soap operas—The Edge of Night, Young and the Restless, All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital, and Days of Our Lives. If you can name it, she probably enjoyed watching it. Other pastimes were baking. She and her sisters were all known for their famous macaroni and cheese dish, as well as their poundcakes.

Marlene was preceded in death by her parents Bishop O.D. Hannah and Callie Hannah; her siblings: Marie, O.D. Jr., Vera Mae, Arthur Lee, Alvin, Betty Ann, Judie Ruth, Regina and Arnita; and her grandson Terek Patterson.  She leaves behind a legacy of family who adored her: her husband Paul (Tee) Taylor; her children, Karen Patterson (Bobby),Charlotte Patterson (Keith), Harvey Nettingham III (Julee), and LT Taylor (Lashondra); her grandchildren: Robbie, Shaheerah (Reese), Michael, Shawnique, Craig, Shi-Quan (Molly), Kristion, Zora, Mariah, Tahir, Sarah, Latia, and Amari; her great grandchildren: Natalia, Nylah, Chloe, Cameron, Sanaa, Santana, Josiah, Jael, Malcolm, Zahir and Zyriah; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, friends, colleagues and everyone she met! Her memory will live on in the laughter of her family, the stories that will be told for generations, and her many recipes that she passed along to her family.