Philip W. Traylor
(19 Feb 1940 – 20 Jul 2023)
Mr. Traylor grew up in Davis, Oklahoma where he starred in football, basketball and track during his high school years. In addition, he was the Vice President of the Honor Society and an active member of the Davis High School Dramatic Society, Letterman’s Club and Librarian’s Club.
He attended Oklahoma State University, attaining his Bachelors in Math in 1961, and later, a Masters in Math from Stony Brook University. While as OSU, Mr. Traylor sang in an acapella cover band of the Everly Brothers.
Mr. Traylor and his wife Diane were married for 62 years and had four children: Barton, Todd, Amy, and Libby. They also raised Diane’s younger brother (Jack) after a family tragedy. Mr. Traylor had 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mr. Traylor loved teaching and from Sep 1965 until Jun 1993, he taught Math at West Islip High School. He walked to school daily at 6:00 AM, just to be there early for any students who wanted extra help. He also coached tracked and tutored students until late in the evening. After retiring from WIHS, Mr. Traylor taught Math at East Hampton HS for a few years before working for CVS, where he planned their in-store displays.
He and his wife were active members of the Church of Christ and he was an elder in many churches over the years. Mr. Traylor was an avid student of the Bible, which he never conveyed in the academic classroom, preferring to lead by example.
(Information and pictures provided by Amy Traylor-Gunther)
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