Madison “Maddie” Taylor Leaves A Legacy – Tennessee Community Magazine

Madison "Maddie" Taylor takes the stage at the 2020 Distinguished Young Woman Program.

Young Woman Touched the Lives of So Many in Her 19 Plus Years

June 4, 2020

Spring City, TN -- Madison "Maddie" Taylor was a lifetime resident of Spring City. She was student at Union College after her graduation from Rhea County High School in May of 2020. At Union, she was a member of the track and basketball team and was on the Dean's List. Maddie also enjoyed video games and shopping. She touched the lives of many and left a legacy of love and good impressions.

Maddie was part of a large family that along with community is still in shock at the way Maddie left so suddenly. She lost her life by drowning over ther Memorial Day weekend. A tragedy that will leave so many empty as they must move on without Madison. Maddie leaves behind her family, including mother Courtney McArthur Swafford, of Spring City, father Courtney "Coco" Taylor, Knoxville, boyfriendf Hunter Hill, Spring City, siblings McKinley(K.J. Gunter) McArthur, Spring City, Drake Taylor, Spring City, Jayleigh Taylor, Dunlap, Karmah Swafford, Spring City, Amari Taylor, Knoxville, Braelyn Taylor, Cleveland, Mia Swafford, Spring City, Kenyon Taylor, Cleveland, Jaelyn Lawson, Spring City and Tyce Taylor, Chattanooga, maternal grandparents Robin and Jimmy Jones, Spring City, paternal grandmother Melody Floyd, Atlanta, paternal grandfather Kevin Hoffman, Knoxville, great grandmother Fay Hoffman, Knoxville, aunts Ashley Goodwin, Spring City, Chastity Taylor, Atlanta and Shay Hoffman, Knoxville, uncles Taylor and Franc Floyd, Atlanta, special nephews Axel and Kaice Gunter and many cousins including Ty, Bradley and Gracie Goodwin.

On Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 1 pm until 4 pm, the family received friends at United Methodist Church. Funeral Services for Maddie before a private service. Vaughn Funeral Home in Spring City was in charge of arrangements. Many of those close to Maddie's family wore yellow, Maddie's favorite color. The line wrapped around the church as friends, students, community members and many others come to offer their kind words. Spring City is a tight-knit community you read about in books. The are a family, and when one suffers a loss, the town suffers a loss.

Maddie played sports her entire life. She played softball, basketball, volleyball and cheered at Spring City Middle School. At Rhea County High School, she played basketball, volleyball and ran track. Maddie was a good athlete,, but an even better person. She had a wonderful smile and a infectious laugh. She was loved by teammates, teachers, students, coaches and community at large. The stories by those who knew her are numerous, funny and inspiring. As a journalist and photographer, I had seen her grow through pictures and performances over the years. I saw her improvement in all the sports she participated in. I was particularly impressed by her improvement in basketball from middle school to high school. As I looked through my photo archive, I was surprised how many wonderful pictures I had of Maddie, many times in a small group, with great big smile on her face. As I talked and interviewed people about their memories, there was a common theme. Maddie had a great smile and infectious laughter. Regretfully, the world will be deprived of those gifts from Maddie. Maybe we should learn to smile and laugh more as a tribute to Maddie.

Maddie also participated in pageants and other extracurricular activities. She also participated in the Distinguished Young Woman of Rhea County and she sang beautifully for her talent.

I was fortunate enough to receive some input from a few of her coaches over the years and as expected, the words were positive and uplifting. If I added all the kind words, I would still be writing this article. This is just a few of those touched by Maddie's life.

Former Spring City Middle School basketball coach Cara Reed shared on Facebook a long and heartfelt post about Maddie and gave permission to share here.

Cara said, "Maddie, “Mad Dog”, Madison Marie (my favorite when her momma would yell it from the bleachers during a game), Baby Squirrel, and every other special name she’d been given - will forever be loved."

"I’ve tried for days to come up with words to ease the hurt of broken hearts, words to bring comfort, words to honor sweet Maddie the way she deserves to be honored, but soon after telling her mom I would share about Maddie when I could find the right words, I realized that nothing I say will sufficiently embody Maddie’s character, personality, smile, or God-given gift to make everyone feel like someone."

"This is my attempt to celebrate her and honor her – to leave more memories for Maddie’s parents, her siblings, her family, and all who love her – additional memories to hold on to, to look back on, to recall all the ways Maddie made the lives of those she knew richer because of her presence alone – remembrances to cling to knowing the light she has always been will continue to shine because of the way she lived and the way she loved."

"I got to coach this amazing kiddo, and I’ve been asked several times the last few days what my favorite memory is of her from a coach perspective, and y’all, I can’t pick one."

"Athlete. Amazing work ethic. Cheerleader. Coachable. Court Leader. Aggressive. Motivator. Lefty. Great Attitude. Tenacious Defender. Respectful. Fierce. Never backed down from a challenge. Always wanted to know what she could do to get better. The list goes on and on, but the point I’m trying to make is that Maddie = a coach’s dream. Maddie was the kind of player that coaches tell their players about years later. The type of player you use as an example to motivate future players and I even sometimes found myself talking about Maddie to students in the classroom about work ethic years after I coached her - to kids who never knew or met her. She was the type of player that coaches would often say “I wish I had a team full of ______.” I will go ahead and speak for any coach that had the opportunity to coach Maddie and guess that they’d probably say the same thing, “I wish I had a team full of Maddie Taylors”.

"There was a practice Maddie’s 8th grade year that I gave a stern coach’s talk because we as a team didn’t have the greatest energy and weren’t giving our best effort, you know, one of those moments where you as a coach try to make a point to the entire team by calling out that player and praising how she always works hard and saying you wish you had a team full of Maddie’s. I finished that soap box talk hoping effort would improve, the gym was completely silent because no one likes “those talks” and we were about to try again, I thought okay I made my point, they know I mean business… when I saw movement in Maddie’s direction and turned as Maddie lowered her head with that grin on her face (anyone who knows her knows that little head duck and grin I’m talking about) while half raising her hand to ask - “But can some of the me’s be tall?”

For more, please visit Cara Reed's Facebook post for June 2nd or read full text at bottom of this article.

Long-time Rhea County High School Track and Cross-Country coach Steffan Holder said,

"Madison Taylor was one heck of an athlete. That is evident to anyone who saw her perform in her multiple sports. The thing she had that many others don’t is she was a competitor. The bigger the meet, the tougher the competition, the better she performed. The saddest part was Maddie never got to compete for RCHS Track and Field her senior year because of COVID. She had a fabulous preseason and was prepped for a breakout year!"

"Her goal was simple, get to the State Meet."

"However, what Maddie brought to the track and field team was much, much more than her athleticism. She brought the intangibles. She brought her laughter. She brought her smile. She brought happiness. She brought her heart for her teammates and coaches."

"Her goal was simple, bring joy every day. It is times like these that I fall back on my life verse: Philippians 4:13 “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”"

Rhea County High School Volleyball coach Stephanie Burgiss added these words,

"Maddie was such a light in this world and to her team when she played volleyball for Rhea County High School. She was the most coachable kid and she always cheered on every single one of her teammates at all times. Maddie brought the energy to the court and just made us all feel happy to be there and with each other. It was her senior year that we made it to the Regional Tournament for the first time since I had started coaching and I never wanted that season to end. That group of girls were so special to me and this program."

"Maddie helped lead this team not only in athletic ability, but also on how to treat one another and was the definition of a team player. She always thought about what was best for the team and was so selfless. She could put a smile on anyone's face no matter what was going on and she made all of our days brighter during season. Maddie has left a lasting impact on this volleyball program in so many ways. She was such a special person that it is so difficult to put into words just how incredible she was. Maddie was truly one of the best student-athletes I have ever had the privilege to coach. She will always be remembered for her kind spirit and light in a world that doesn't seem to have enough of it."

Candice Tilley was director of 2020 Distinguished Young Woman, which Maddie participated in and she said, "I remember what a truly genuine person she was. Very sweet and appreciative of everything she experienced from the program. We are heartbroken for her family."

My overriding memory of Maddie is not a specific memory it’s just how she carried herself every day. I never remember her having a bad day or a bad practice she was always ready to go with that smile of hers and her unique, infectious laugh. In all my years of coaching she has to be at the top of the “best teammates” ever. Always seemed to be lifting up a teammate, always going as hard as she could in whatever drill, etc. And I took great joy in the player/shooter she become during my time at Rhea Co., watching her hustling at Spring City and growing into a feared shooter in District 6-AAA while participating in three sports at RCHS and then playing two sports in college. Maddie was a “superstar” when it comes to being a daughter, sister and teammate. I was very lucky to have been able to coach and know her.

Former Rhea County High School girls' basketball coach Darvin Gill said,

"My overriding memory of Maddie is not a specific memory it’s just how she carried herself every day. I never remember her having a bad day or a bad practice she was always ready to go with that smile of hers and her unique, infectious laugh. In all my years of coaching she has to be at the top of the “best teammates” ever. Always seemed to be lifting up a teammate, always going as hard as she could in whatever drill, etc. And I took great joy in the player/shooter she become during my time at Rhea Co.unty, watching her hustling at Spring City and growing into a feared shooter in District 6-AAA while participating in three sports at RCHS and then playing two sports in college. Maddie was a “superstar” when it comes to being a daughter, sister and teammate. I was very lucky to have been able to coach and know her."

Cara Reed full Post:

Maddie is loved.

"Maddie, “Mad Dog”, Madison Marie (my favorite when her momma would yell it from the bleachers during a game), Baby Squirrel, and every other special name she’d been given - will forever be loved."

"I got to coach this amazing kiddo, and I’ve been asked several times the last few days what my favorite memory is of her from a coach perspective, and y’all, I can’t pick one."

"I was trying to be stern, I was trying to motivate the kids to work hard, but of course with that, I couldn’t keep a straight face, and Maddie changed a frustrated situation to a light-hearted learning moment for me as a coach, a teacher, and a person. That year I learned more from Maddie and her teammates about life than I could have possibly taught them about basketball. And somehow, that season, I went from being “much like my dad” to being “Mama Squirrel” to three “Baby Squirrels” – Maddie, Lauren, and Aubrey, and since have taken on many Mama nicknames because Maddie helped me realize that relationships and loving kids are far more important than the fears ‘the system’ instilled in us of letting kids only talk to us about a school subject or sport– that it was worth the risk to be there for your kids – to let them see you as a person, not just a title of some type of authority."

"That’s what Maddie did – she made days better. She made lives better. She changed lives, for the better."

"As I was thinking back to the days in practice, the preseason running, all the times someone could have had a bad day, shown a moment of a bad attitude or being discouraged, I remembered my own “bad days” as a player… and I recognized that I cannot think of a single time that I saw Maddie Taylor having one of those days. Sure, shots might not have fallen or mistakes might have been made, but her attitude never wavered, her hustle never slowed, and she never had to be told to give better effort. Maddie was always leading by example."

"It never mattered how she herself was doing individually in a game, she was always the first one there to pick her teammates up, cheer them on, and encourage them that they could do it – whether it be that they could hit their free throws, guard a certain player, or for a few of her foul happy teammates/best friends that they could make it the rest of the game without fouling out. My favorite defense as a player became Maddie’s favorite defense as well and her position made her and a teammate work together to trap and steal the ball hopefully for a layup on the other end for either of them – Maddie never started a defensive possession from a dead ball without looking at me to ask me if we could please run “Mad Dog” and being so excited the possessions I said yes. She never ran Mad Dog without first looking to her trapping teammate and telling her teammate “We’ve got this”. Maddie might have been one of the smallest in size on the court, but I cannot tell you how many coaches told me their point guards were scared of her. Maddie was a force to be reckoned with."

"Maddie had the best facial expressions while playing. Her fighting for a jump ball will forever make me smile. Her boxing out, I mean a true old school butt-in-the-gut box out of the biggest player on the other team and backing them up many steps will forever make me smile. But the thing that makes me smile most – Maddie’s smile. She had different smiles… the smile and little head duck while saying sorry when she fouled and got caught and the ref was reporting her number to the table… the smile she’d turn and give me when she did something and didn’t get caught and knew I saw it, too… the smile after she got up after a whistle and wrestling for the ball, making sure she didn’t let go before the other player did… and one of the best one’s - the smile when she’d come to the huddle just after her momma had yelled “Madison Marie” at her from the bleachers and she’d ask me if I could believe her momma called her out like that.. I would always tell Maddie I needed to thank her momma for saving me from having to and Maddie would always act so appalled – while smiling."

"Maddie was always smiling. I can’t count the number of times that Maddie started a question with “Coach Cara do you think I can…” Sometimes it was about basketball, sometimes about something silly, and sometimes about her future and her life. Thinking through all of those questions I can recall, I came to notice that I never once answered that question with no… I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, I knew, everyone knew, that if Maddie wanted to achieve something, Maddie was going to achieve it, and no excuse or obstacle was going to keep her from that."

"Maddie knew hard work, and she learned it from example. I always admired Courtney and how she was always present for her children even though I also knew she was working tirelessly to give them everything they could ever need and wish for. Maddie knew how to work hard from seeing her mother’s sacrifices and Maddie would often talk about her love and appreciation of her mom. I honestly have never seen a mother and siblings who love each other the way Maddie’s do. Maddie would brag on her baby sisters, she would tell me about her older sister because I hadn’t gotten to really meet her, she would acknowledge all her mom did for them, and man oh man was she so proud of her bubba Drake. Those smiles I talked about with sports and competing, there was another one – the joyful full of love smile when she talked about her family and how she wanted to achieve everything she could to make them proud."

"Maddie is loved and Maddie loved others well because of the love she was taught and shown. It’s a trait of their entire family, but one that I am fortunate enough to experience and know through Maddie (and Drake)."

"Kids move forward in life, have new coaches, new teams, new teachers – and often you don’t hear from them anymore – and that’s okay because that’s how life works, but sometimes we’re blessed enough to keep in touch with kiddos or athletes that we’ve grown close to… like Maddie."

"Maddie was always busy. All the sports. Distinguished Young Woman competition. Being a daughter, sister, aunt, niece, cousin, friend, and all her many titles. Dating. Being a kid. But - Maddie always had time."

"Maddie always had a way of letting you know you were important to her, that she wanted you to be part of her life, that she wanted to stay in touch, keep up, and know how you were doing – like really know how you were doing. It never mattered if she’d just seen you the day before, she was just as excited to see you again the next time. She made everyone feel like someone without even trying."

"Four years after I coached her for the last time, I got a message from Courtney that Maddie’s senior night was coming up and Maddie really wanted me to come. Senior night was about Maddie, Maddie’s accomplishments, Maddie’s high school career. Maddie was so excited, so appreciative, and thanked me multiple times for “making time to be there for her senior night” ….

"But Maddie didn’t realize that it was the other way around – it was a privilege to be there on Maddie’s senior night, and I was so excited, appreciative, and honestly shocked that in the middle of the highlight of her season, her senior year – Maddie made her old coach feel loved and remembered. Maddie went out of her way to show love."

Maddie always showed love.

"I will forever cherish the memories I have with Maddie, and I will forever miss her and her Bubba passing me on the road and waving like maniacs to make sure I saw them – always making me smile. I will forever miss passing her or her stopping on her way in or out from visiting Hunter to talk to me or cheer me on driving by on the rare occasion I’d take on some fresh air and exercise – again, she always made time. I will forever miss her Instagram posts, silly faces, catching up, telling her I’m proud of her and love her, and watching her crush everything she sets out to achieve, like going to college on a running scholarship and ending up showing out and gaining a spot on the Union basketball team, too."

"But I will forever smile when I think of Maddie. I will forever remember the lessons she taught me, the love she showed me, the laughter she brought me, and the light and love of Jesus she took with her anywhere she went. I will forever smile knowing that there are countless ways her light and her love are going to continue to live here on earth through those that were fortunate enough to meet her, know her, be loved by her, and even those who never met her but will be forever changed by learning about Madison Marie Taylor. If you knew Maddie at all, you knew love. Maddie is loved."

Young Woman Touched the Lives of So Many in Her 19 Plus Years

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