Winter 2026 Delta Upsilon Quarterly

Delta Upsilon mourns the loss of Past International Fraternity Board Chairman Richard X. Taylor, NC State ’82, who passed away surrounded by his family on Feb. 3, 2026. Brother Taylor and his leadership were instrumental in the development of much of today’s current Delta Upsilon undergraduate experience. Programs and initiatives like the Global Service Initiative, the Men of Merit Chapter Standards Program, the Associate Member Education Program, current assessment practices, and much more were developed and nurtured under his care.

“More than anyone I have ever met, Rick lived our Four Founding Principles of Friendship, Character, Culture and Justice,” said Past International Fraternity President Bruce McKinney, Missouri ’74, who worked on the Board with Brother Taylor. “His faith and love of family were unconditional.”

Born July 4, 1958, Rick grew up in Burlington, North Carolina, and went on to receive a chemical engineering degree in the pulp and paper field from North Carolina State University. He owned Refiners Products Manufacturing until he retired in 2022.

Rick’s dedication to Delta Upsilon began as an undergraduate at NC State. The chapter was just two years old when Rick was initiated in April 1979, and Brother Taylor went on to serve as Chapter President during the 1980-1981 academic year. Even as a young DU, he was driven by the Fraternity’s mission of Building Better Men.

This commitment to the Fraternity could be seen throughout the rest of Brother Taylor’s life. Locally, he served as a long-time volunteer and mentor for the NC State Chapter, and he was fortunate to watch his brother Paul (NC State ’89), and three sons (Ashton, NC State ’09; Michael, NC State ’11; and Britt, NC State ’13) join the chapter. When the chapter reopened in 2004 after a 10-year absence, Rick was an instrumental figure in the chapter’s return. At this same time, Rick joined the International Fraternity’s leadership upon his election to the Board of Directors. He served as an Alumni Director from 2004-2009, then as Chairman of the Board from 2009-2017.

Upon his retirement from Board service, Brother Taylor was presented with the Distinguished Delta Upsilon Award, the Fraternity’s highest individual honor, at the 2017 Leadership Institute in Milwaukee. At the time, Steve Rowley, Ohio ’65, who served the DU Educational Foundation as Chairman during Rick’s tenure on the Fraternity Board, spoke of Rick’s commitment to DU.

“As a leader, Rick always put Delta Upsilon’s interests above his own, and he constantly encourages those around him to do the same,” Rowley said. “He chose Delta Upsilon because he shared DU’s values, and he continues to practice our Four Founding Principles every day.”

In Brother Taylor’s passing, Rowley offered the same observation.

“Rick has left Delta Upsilon with a legacy of reinforcing our commitment to our Four Founding Principles. To put it simply, Rick was a delight to work with. He was open-minded, and then decisive. Rick understood the value of different points of view while working toward a common commitment to getting things done right. He was the right leader at the right time for Delta Upsilon.”

Brother McKinney agrees. “Rick was one of the most effective leaders I ever met. He was a terrific listener, which allowed him to read people very well. He would then take that information and align it with his agenda and goals of the Board. His collaborative style encouraged other Board members to step up if needed so that buy-in was achieved without friction.”

During Rick’s 13 years of Board service, the Fraternity saw unprecedented growth and change. This included transitioning the nature of the Board of Directors from tactical to strategic governance, as well as creating several new programs and initiatives. Rick was perhaps most passionate about the development of the Global Service Initiative. He, along with his brother Paul, were the first DU Educational Foundation donors to endow a scholarship for GSI.

Dr. Bernard Franklin, Kansas State ’75, who served as International Fraternity President through much of Rick’s time on the Board, also attests to Brother Taylor’s leadership and character, calling him “a man for all men, a true DU representative for our times.”

“I loved his heart, his soul,” Franklin said. “He wanted to make meaningful, purposeful change for our Fraternity. … At the heart of Rick Taylor was an abiding faith in God. Unashamedly, his faith was central to who he was as a man. He was confident in his purpose knowing that he had been placed on the earth for something greater.”

Brother Rick Taylor is survived by his wife of 42 years, Teresa (Terri); their three sons; two daughters-in-law; and three granddaughters.