Tayloe Holton Loftus ’78

Tayloe Holton Loftus ’78 died surrounded by her family at home in Manlius, New York, on February 26. Tayloe came to Dartmouth from Roanoke, Virginia. She lived in Hinman her freshman year. “I came to Dartmouth as a political junkie,” says Steve Strauss ’78. “Pretty early on during freshman year I figured out that her dad had just been governor of Virginia—pretty cool in my eyes.” Tayloe participated in the German language study abroad and gymnastics and was tapped into Fire & Skoal. Fellow premed Dan Gaylon ’78 recalls: “Tayloe was really one of the kindest and most thoughtful of the lot. We all went through quite a bit together. Tayloe always had a smile, a word of encouragement, and an inner empathy that the whole process seemed to ignore but I have no doubt made her a great physician.” She received her medical degree from University of Virginia School of Medicine and practiced as an internist in the Syracuse, New York, area for more than 30 years. She became a medical school professor and president of the clerkship directors in internal medicine. She was an active hiker and skier and conducted alumni interviews for Dartmouth. In 2011 Tayloe was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. A famously stubborn overachiever, she outlived her prognosis by nine years. Tayloe is survived by husband Jon and children David, Elizabeth, and J. Carter.