Dave Taylor, renowned journalist and editor of the Hancock Clarion, passed away on the morning of September 5, 2022. A mere 12 hours earlier, he made his last request: that prominent artist and Owensboro native Aaron Kizer paint a portrait of Taylor using his ashes.
Dave’s wife Jamie described him as the “most awesome” person, light-hearted and kind, and unequivocally fascinating. Taylor’s family and friends knew him to collect random steering wheels in his garage and take long drives to nowhere, stopping at unexpected places, so the “strange” request was no shock to Jamie.
“When we met for our first date, Dave expressed his love for art and modern design. He brought up Aaron Kizer from Owensboro, who he said was doing some really cool things,” Jamie said.
While Dave had purchased a few of Kizer’s pieces, the two only knew one another through social media. Several thoughts and reservations entered Kizer’s mind when he initially saw the request.
“A lot went through my head like, ‘What if I mess up?’” Kizer said. “It was a different request and, indeed, a rare opportunity. I know I did the right thing – a good thing. It was an honor and something I never dreamed of doing.”
In May of 2021, Dave began getting sick, concerning his wife with the extremity of his symptoms. Doctors later diagnosed Dave with stage four esophageal cancer, essentially telling him there was no hope.
As Dave did for most of his professional career, he immediately began drafting his feelings, writing about various experiences and getting his thoughts out. En route to the Ohio County Hospital for a feeding tube, Dave dreamt up having his ashes mixed with paint for Kizer to use in a portrait of himself.
Unbeknownst to Jamie and others, he didn’t bring the concept to Kizer at the time.
Taylor went on to battle cancer for another 18 months, documenting his experiences in a weekly column in the Clarion titled “What I’ve Learned from Dying.”
“Dave was a procrastinator,” Jamie said. “I didn’t know who Aaron Kizer was; I just assumed they were friends, and during those 18 months, Dave had reached out, especially since he almost died several times.”
On September 4, the Taylors went to church and returned home. As Jamie was doing some chores around the house and Dave was resting, he said, “Aaron just did some paintings, and they’re really cool … do you think I should ask him to do my portrait?”
She wasted no time responding.
“If there is ever a time in your life to be bold, it’s right now,” she said. “He said, ‘You’re right,’ and we continued our day with a trip to Menards and finished up some things around the house.”
After an evening of laughter, the two fell asleep. Dave awoke in the middle of the night with breathing issues. He then messaged Kizer with the request, passing away shortly after that.
Kizer didn’t initially realize Dave had already died by the time he saw the message.
“I woke up one morning and saw the message,” Kizer said. “I didn’t think much of it because I thought there was a chance he could live another 10 years. When I saw a post later that day about his passing – it became a reality.”
Still, Kizer took a year to reflect on the request, staying busy with several other pieces. Reluctant to bother him, Jamie eventually reached out to secure one of Kizer’s final commission spots and asked that he also paint a portrait of her.
He agreed and insisted on using the same paints. Once complete, Kizer and Jamie met at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, where he unveiled the portraits. The only catch was they didn’t include any of the ashes.
“He wanted to make sure I liked the painting before he added the ashes,” Jamie said. “Art is about patience and following your feelings and your heart. Aaron was very genuine and organic, and I think asking him to do my portrait also released something and allowed him to move forward.”
Jamie said seeing the ashes and paint mix together was a surreal feeling. As Kizer began to mix them, he asked her if she would make some strokes on the canvas, but Jamie said she simply couldn’t do it when the time came.
Jamie was thrilled with the finished product and described the experience as exactly what Dave would have wanted.
Kizer’s mindset has shifted as his artwork continues to gain popularity.
“When I started painting years ago, my only dream was for someone to have my artwork in their home,” he said. “I’ve sold thousands of paintings, and while I’m still grateful, I’ve become jaded to it. To paint Dave in this fashion is like nothing I ever imagined.”
Before the Owensboro Times was founded in 2018, Dave actually owned the domain. He was always a friend and supporter of what our publication became. Jamie said he knew Owensboro Times would be something one day, and he was right. We’re honored to pay homage to him and the difference he made in the journalism world, both locally and across the state.
