Robert "Spud" Dale Taylor, 83, of Redfield, SD, passed away at Avantara-Redfield, in Redfield, SD, on Saturday, June 25, 2022.

His Celebration of Life will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 7, at Hyke Funeral Home in Redfield. Inurnment, with military honors, will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery in Redfield. Pastor Melissa Rowenhorst will officiate.  Following the committal service, there will be lunch served at the Clay Kiser American Legion Post #92 in Redfield, where Spud was a member.

The funeral service will be live-streamed to the funeral home's website, below Spud's obituary. Arrangements have been entrusted to Hyke Funeral Home. ( www.hykefuneralhome.com )

Robert "Spud" Dale Taylor was born in Redfield on October 9, 1938, to Francis and Harriet (Ask) Taylor, the second of four kids. Spud spent his youth in Redfield, hunting, fishing, and playing baseball, graduating from Redfield High School in 1956.

Upon completing high school, Spud joined the United States Navy and served overseas in Japan as a Radio Operator. After serving for three years, he was honorably discharged in 1959 and then returned to Redfield and worked various jobs.

In 1961, Spud joined the United States Army and served three years as a Radio Operator. He was honorably discharged in 1964. Returning to Redfield, he went to work at the Dakota Hatchery, where he spent the next 28 years. After his retirement, he worked as a part-time crossing guard, along with mowing and maintaining the city parks and ball fields for the City of Redfield. Spud married G. Ruth Pribble in 1966, and they had two children from that union.

Spud coached and played softball during his younger adult life. In his later years, he umpired softball along with coaching baseball. He also was a big supporter of the Redfield wrestling program and the local baseball teams.

He was a known outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing. He was a fisherman in every sense of the word, 365 days a year. He could give the fishing report of all the local lakes and rivers to anyone who asked. Spud's other passion was pheasant season because of all the friendships he had forged over the years.

Spud is survived by his children: Amy (Tim) Vermeulen of Rapid City, SD, and Shane Taylor of Mitchell, SD; sister Marlene Marlow of Huron, SD; brother Darryl (Denice) Taylor of Cumming, IA; and sister Dianne West of Ashton, SD. Spud will also be missed by his four grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers-in-law: Al Marlow and Jerry West.