About the Late Richard Taylor PhD

Richard Taylor PhD was a founding member of Dementia Alliance International, and had been an advocate and global voice for people with dementia for more than ten years before passing away at his home on July 25th, due to cancer.

Richard was 58 years old when he was diagnosed with dementia, probably of the Alzheimer’s type. He always began his videos and presentations with: “Hello. My name is Richard, and I have dementia, probably of the Alzheimer’s type.” “Hello” is such a simple word, but it in some ways it epitomized Richard, as his focus was on our continued humanity, especially that of people with dementia, and not on our deficits.

Richard was inspirational, and his influence was significant to not only his family and close friends, but also on a vast number of people living with a diagnosis of dementia of this or that type, and those people that care for us, paid and unpaid, around the world.

He was a University Faculty Member, a Psychologist, a Director of Human Resources; he also swept up the floors and delivered orders for a drug (legal of course) store, was a High School English/Speech teacher, a debate coach, and several times was a director of training in various industries. He was a page in the Chicago Public Library, a coach/counselor of unemployed folks over 40, a night watch person on several construction sites, and held several other positions, which he just can’t recall right now. His goals for advocacy or personal goals for the future are to continue to stand up and speak out based on his experiences living the disabilities of dementia, and to design and promote use of web-based technology to allow folks living with dementia to form enabling support networks with their kindred spirits. His voice lives on, and we are honouring him with the Richard Taylor Award.
You can read some of Richard's work here: /blog/wise-words-from-the-heart-of-richard-taylor