Taber, Borough Historian, Dies

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 3 at for longtime Madison resident Laurence Taber, 80, who died Thursday afternoon at  from complications of a stroke suffered Aug. 12.

As official Borough Historian, Taber, known to his many friends as  Larry, evinced an enduring love of history in general and for the Rose City specifically, and was past president of the Board of Trustees of the Hartley Dodge Foundation, which oversees the .

"Larry was a good person who was very generous with his time, both for charities and to his friends," said Carlotta Budd, an attorney in the borough. "He loved to talk about Madison."

Taber was born in New York and moved to Madison at a young age. His mother, Margaret Gantt Taber, was a physician and his father, Thomas, served as borough mayor in the Fifties.

"I think that he developed a love of the town from his parents," said Budd. "As a kid, there was a lot of political talk around his family. He picked up most of his inspiration that way, and had a general love of history. He was a good friend."

Taber studied mathematics and sociology at Colby College in Waterville, Me., and earned a math-related Master's degree at Stevens Institute in Hoboken. After serving in the Army in the mid-Fifties, he worked for 30 years until retirement as a computer consultant with Union Carbide.

"Larry had a mind for details about Madison history that was rich and lively," Mayor Mary-Anna Holden wrote in an e-mail. "I have lost a great friend, too."

In the borough, Taber was elected a trustee of the Hartley Dodge Memorial Foundation in January, 1996. He served as president of the board of that body from March, 2002 through 2006. He was on the Board a total of 14 years, retiring last year at the age of 80.

Taber also served on the Historic Preservation Commission, Madison Housing Authority and Shade Tree Commission.

“'Mr. Madison,' I called him," said Nicolas Platt, a member of the Hartley Dodge Foundation Board of Trustees. "Larry always had a wonderful story to tell, was a good listener, and he got to be close friends of my parents."

Platt, a descendant of Madison benefactor Marcellus Hartley, said Taber would show up at the family's ancestral home, Hartley Farms, in Harding, climb aboard a tractor, "and cut fields for days. It soon became obvious we had to have him on the Hartley Dodge  Foundation. He served so well, it became obvious that we had to have him come on as president, and he was president through much of the renovation, until he retired.

"He had a nice way about him. Not confrontational, could get things done, a kind-hearted soul who always wanted to do what was right. I miss him greatly, there really is no one who can take his place."

Taber was an active member of Grace Episcopal Church, serving as a vestryman and, for eight years, as treasurer. He was also active in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark as assistant treasurer and also as treasurer of the Age Resource Center board of St. Barnabas Church, Newark. He was financial chair of the Department of Mission for the Diocese, and served on the board of the Ward J. Herbert Fund, which makes grants for repairs to churches throughout the Diocese.

The Diocese honored Taber with the Bishop's Outstanding Service Award in 1996, and the David P. Hegg II Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

Taber is survived by his brother, Thomas III, of Pennsylvania. He was predeceased by his partner of many years, William Decker.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Grace Episcopal Church.