Frederic F. Taylor

Frederic “Derry” Forrest Taylor, 89, of Dorset, Vermont and West Falmouth, Massachusetts passed away peacefully on October 27, 2026.

Born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, Derry attended the Bancroft School and the Middlesex School where he excelled in tennis and proudly shared tales from his championship year. He went on to Middlebury College and finished at Columbia University in New York.

For nearly 29 years, Derry ran the Johnny Appleseed Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont, which specialized in old and rare books. He personally collected, along with his wife Judy, Lincolniana, Vermontiana, Christmas books and modern first editions. Derry was a craft beer enthusiast and had special fondness for the most cheerfully named Vermont double IPA, Sip of Sunshine. Around the age of 10, Derry discovered jazz and started collecting records and books from his favorite musicians. It was this music that was often heard throughout his house, or filling the summer air surrounding his beloved home on Cape Cod, especially during one of their many parties whether it was a summer celebration, the annual Taylor family Christmas party, his famous chili or to celebrate old friends who he held near and dear to his heart.

Derry also loved art, serving on the Board for the Southern Vermont Art Center and a trustee to the Stratton Arts Festival. He also served on the Board for the now defunct Ethan Allen Community College. After losing the love of his life in 2012, his wife Judy, he donated a turf field in her name to her cherished alma mater, Burr and Burton Academy. For the last decade of his life, it was really Middlebury College that held his attention. Derry passionately followed the women’s stick teams, field hockey, ice hockey and his favorite lacrosse. Often starting a conversation with “have you seen how well my girls are playing this season?”.

Derry is predeceased by his beloved wife Judy by 14 years. He is also predeceased by his parents Paul and Dorothy Buckingham and his sister-in-law Roxanne McCormick Leighton. He is survived by his younger brother Peter and wife Patty; his brother-in-law Levering "TD" McCormick and his wife, Judi; his son Charles and daughter-in-law Alison of Woodstock, VT; his daughter Suzanne “Topsy” and son-in-law Andrew King of Manchester, VT; and his 5 grandchildren, Davis and Kendall Taylor and Wesley, Bennett and Melissa King.

A Celebration of Life Service will be planned for later this month.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to Bancroft School, https://bancroftschool.org/give/ or Burr and Burton Academy, https://www.burrburton.org/giving/give-to-burr-and-burton .