Arthur Taphorn

Arthur Henry Taphorn passed away, at the age of 93, on November 5, 2026, after a brief illness. Professing Jesus as his Lord and Savior at the age of 9 he is now bound for Heaven.
He was born to Arthur Henry Taphorn Sr. and Wynelle J. Taphorn on 9/20/1933 in Birmingham Alabama. His father died when he was 3 in a motorcycle accident. Art mostly grew up in Hanceville Alabama among many relatives and was affectionately referred to as “Fritz”. He moved to Birmingham to finish elementary and junior high, then to Cullman to attend at St. Bernard High School and then to Hanceville for his junior and senior year.
After graduating high school, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1952 being assigned to North Africa as a Group Finance Clerk for a squadron of F-86 and B-52 pilots. After returning to the states, Art was honorably discharged at Wichita Falls in 1956 and then pursued several employment endeavors using his “gift of gab”. Art married Earlene Turner and they had a son, Mark. They later divorced. Art was a salesman for Kayser and Roth Lingerie in Wisconsin where he met and married Judith Rand and they had a son Scott. Art then landed with Vanity Fair with his sales territory in Alabama and later promoted to Kentucky. Art’s endeavors led the family back to Wisconsin and then back to Alabama where they eventually divorced. He retired in 1992 from Cook’s Pest Control. In 1996 Art decided to start a new adventure becoming an avid RVer in a Safari diesel pusher traveling across the country and to Alaska. He met many people as “Wagon Master” for an RV club and enjoyed the comradery. Art married a longtime friend Audra “Nell” Sills in 2000, and she enjoyed the RV life as well. They had a happy life together travelling and then finally deciding to hang up the open road to rest and relax at their home in Owensboro Kentucky. Nell passed away in 2022, and Art moved to Wisconsin to be close to his son, Scott.
Art was preceded in death by his parents; grandmother, Belle Marsh; grandfather, Lonnie Johnston; uncles, Grady (Bea) Bland, Lossie Bland, Shelly Bland and Earney Bland; aunts, Birty (Clint) Warren and Kate Bland; several cousins along with special cousins, Julian Bland, Wallace Bland, Ralph Bland, Steve Bland and Jack and Helen Vogel. He is survived by his sons and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Art will be buried back home in Alabama at Hopewell Cemetery in the family section. A private graveside service and Honor Guard will be held with family.