Remembering Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor: A mentor mourned
There was more to leading senior constable Lynette Taylor than a dedicated officer and willing mentor. She loved to travel and is missed by friends all around the world.
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Lynette Taylor was a 31-year veteran of the force, but when not on duty her favourite beat was the entire planet, which she loved to explore alongside her ex-police husband Stuart, who is staying strong despite his loss.
Lynette Taylor met her husband through the police force.
But 31 years later, the call of service that brought the couple together would tragically cut their time short.
“We first crossed paths in the bowels of Russell Street Police Station,’’ Stuart Schulze, who is no longer with Victoria Police, said.
“We met to talk for the first time at the police club, one late night in May 1989.
“A few days later when we crossed paths, she invited me to go skydiving and of course I agreed.”
The couple became inseparable, travelling the world with a shared sense of spontaneity and adventure.
They renovated a home, had children, and built a boat called Sapphire Blue, named after Lynette’s favourite gem.
The family, including sons Alexander and Nathan, lived on the boat for six years — sailing to Sydney, New Zealand, New Caledonia and back to Australia in a year-long odyssey.
It was an intrepid streak that never waned.
“We continued to travel the world together, over fifteen cruises in Australia, Asia, Europe and America,’’ Stuart said.
“Her oldest and dearest friends are the ones she met travelling. Friends from all over the world share in our sadness.”
THE MENTOR NOW MOURNED
At work, Lynette, 60, had a reputation for going in to bat for others.
She was a mentor too, taking Constable Glen Humphris, just weeks out of the academy, under her wing.
Lynette had been with the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol section for almost a decade and was sure to offer the new recruit as much help as she could, right down to making sure he was wearing his police cap, the one piece of the uniform he disliked.
Lynette always tried to make sure they got back to their Brunswick base on time, but, when they left for duty on the morning of April 22, they would never return.
Stuart said the outpouring of grief in the wake of the Eastern Freeway crash had been extraordinary.
There were flowers, colours, sirens and condolence books, he said.
“There are hundreds of thousands of people who made tributes. We will never know them but are humbled by their expressions of support,’’ he said.
“Lynette’s death has deeply affected us all, but our family continue to be comforted by the support and condolences from the community, Victoria Police and Lynette’s colleagues.
“Her team will hold a special place in our family now, joined in a special bond of collective loss.
“We will always love her and hold her in our memories as we move forward into a different world.”
LOVE OF TRAVEL AND LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES
She travelled the globe, but Lynette’s favourite place was at home - on the deck of the family’s Loch Sport house, overlooking the lake during sunset, with a glass of sparkling or wine and a good cheese.
Lynette and Stuart had been building their dream retirement home overlooking Bass Strait.
“We were together through thick and thin, good and bad, plenty and poor,’’ Stuart said.
“Lynette was a loving daughter, sister, and mother to our two sons, Alexander and Nathan.
“She loved them dearly and only wanted for them to get ahead and be happy. She was my wife, best friend and travelling guide. We shared all of life’s rich experiences, especially if it involved good value tasty food, good wine and travel.”
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
As the hearse left Lynette’s funeral police across the state formed a guard of honour, hail and heavy rain giving way to a rainbow beaming across the darkened sky.
“It was ironic that she was moved in rain and hail, and her final journey marked with a rainbow,’’ Stuart said.
“We are all now entering a new place in history without someone that we loved and held precious.
“Our journey now has blurred and missing signposts, but we will move on, and on every occasion, we will salute those who have passed and the ones that we love.
“We will attain milestones and be proud that we will honour Lynette’s memory. She will always be in our hearts.”
READ MORE:
ALEX PRESTNEY: ‘AFTER THE 30TH CALL TO MY BROTHER I KNEW’
THE FRANTIC FINAL MESSAGES HUMPHRIS NEVER LIVED TO READ
KEVIN KING’S SONS MOURN LOSS OF DAD AND ‘BEST MATE’
HOW TO REMEMBER
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The names of the four police officers killed in the Eastern Freeway tragedy will on Tuesday be officially added to the Victoria Police Memorial.