John Kelly Taggart of Fort Pierce died peacefully on Sunday, January 28 ^th . He was born on February 15 ^th , 1929 in Washington D.C. to Paul and Clare Taggart of Silver Spring, Md. He graduated from Montgomery Blair High School and enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War. He married his hometown sweetheart, J. Miles Miller on March 25 ^th , 1951 in Denver where he was stationed.  They lived briefly in Tampa, then moved back to Maryland after his service.

He had a successful career at Westinghouse Air-Arm division working on projects that included the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. One of his projects is on display at the Smithsonian Air Space Museum. After he retired, he and Miles owned and operated a popular nightclub named Saranos, followed by a move to the Virgin Islands where he started the U.S.V.I. Solar Corporation. They were part time residents of Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, and Grant-Valkaria. His favorite hobbies were flying airplanes, working on cars, fixing whatever was broken and sometimes taking things apart just to see how they worked and famously having extra parts when the object was re-assembled.

He is preceded in death by his wife Miles, Brothers Tom and Paul, and daughter in law Paula. He is survived by his five children and ten grandchildren: John Kelly Taggart Jr. of Pomona Park, Florida, Kenneth Miles Taggart, wife Maria Elena, and their children Ethan and Andrea all of Grant-Valkaria, Robert Paul Taggart of Garland, Texas, and his children Rebecca of The Woodlands, Texas, John of Orlando and Ashley of Garland. William Steven Taggart of Ashburn, Virginia, and his children Samantha of Arlington and Madison of Ashburn. Barbara Ann Taggart Donaldson and her husband Don and children Don Donaldson III of Tampa, Katherine Donaldson Mish, her husband Anthony and Cristin Donaldson all of Ft Pierce, Florida, and brother Basil Taggart of Olney, Maryland, and Sister Dr. Susan Taggart of Fort Pierce, Florida.

A Memorial Mass will be held on February 5 ^th , 10AM at Holy Cross Catholic Church Vero Beach.