Kaye Kelly Taylor House

Kaye Kelly Taylor House, 82, of Winston-Salem, NC, passed away on August 19, 2024. 

Our beautiful mom was born on July 19, 1942 to Harry Ray and Frances Taylor in Union, SC. In 1958, her family moved to Monroe, NC where she attended Monroe High School. She graduated in 1960 as Valedictorian and Homecoming Queen, and then went on to study at the Woman’s College of North Carolina in Greensboro. In 1964, she graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in Education. She taught biology at Jordan High School in Durham, NC for several years. 

In July 1958, after moving to Monroe, NC, she met a neighborhood boy named Don House. He quickly made her his sweetheart, and they married on August 16, 1964. No one made her laugh more than our father. And our mother did love to laugh and retell our family stories. 

Kaye and Don went on to have four children and eleven grandchildren, Andy (Christine) House, Jeff (Emily) House, Leigh Loftin, and Amie (Roger) Price. Kaye was a beloved grandmother who was called by several names. She was “Grammy” to Caroline, Cate, Ellen, Kailey and Tate; “Bayee” to Georgia, Juliette, and Brick; and “Gee” to Alex, Ryan and Mollie. 

After raising a family, she returned to work as a resident liaison at Bermuda Village focusing on comfort, care, and support of the community residents. Throughout her life, she volunteered at ALL school functions (regardless of her children’s wishes), American Field Service Program, Winston-Salem’s Children’s Theatre (as Rupert the Rabbit), and Meals on Wheels. 

Kaye spent her life championing and supporting those she loved. She was fiercely loyal as well. No truer words were ever uttered then “Thou shall not mess with Kaye House’s children!” When she wasn't taking photos, she was making sure everyone was fed and happy. Her marinated broccoli and mac and cheese were legendary. When she had moments to herself, Kaye enjoyed reading, collecting pottery, completing crosswords (IN PEN), and especially shelling at the beach with her dearest sister Sara. But wherever you found her, she was always wearing her signature dark burgundy lipstick, silver jewelry, and perfect bangs. She loved to travel. Besides her beloved annual trips to Sunset Beach and Figure Eight Island, her favorite family trip was to Greece. She was witty, kind, and an amazing storyteller. 

Kaye was predeceased by her parents, husband, and nephew Marc (Francisca) LaFountain. She is survived by her sister Sara (Keene) LaFountain and her nephew Kevin (Christina) LaFountain; sister-in-law Martha (Tommy) Helms and her many House family nieces and nephews. 

A family service will be held in September at Knollwood Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Walk in her honor. http://act.alz.org/goto/Doloka