Charles Luke Nathan Taylor

Charles Luke Nathan Taylor, best known as "Luke" to friends and family, and "Chuck" to his teammates, left us on May 16, 2022. The youngest of three, Luke was born in Great Falls, Montana on February 12, 2008, to Nathan and Charli Taylor. He attended Chief Joseph Elementary and was an 8th grader at East Middle School. Luke began wrestling at the age of 4 and continued to do so for the next eight years, and while he rarely enjoyed much success on the mat, he had a reputation of simply shrugging off his losses with a silly grin, maybe a cynical joke or two at his own expense, and then turning his attentions back to cheering for his older sister and the rest of his teammates. He took the sport lightly and was known by teammates and friends for his knack of letting failure roll off like water on a duck's back, having a clever sense of humor, and possessing the ability to make others laugh, and he was rarely short of practice partners in the wrestling room, many of whom were just looking for someone else to goof around with on any given evening. Where he fell short in athletics, he excelled in academics. His good grades came with little effort and rarely with homework brought home, Luke made school look easy and effortless. He spent many hours outside his normal studies showing an interest in computer programming and learning about robotics. He played in his schools' bands, beginning with the trumpet before moving on to the baritone. Outside of academics, Luke loved books and was a regular fixture in the libraries at his schools, often coming in early in the morning to share whatever he was currently reading with his teachers and librarians, and he made regular trips to the public library at least once or twice a week to refresh his current reading materials. He especially loved manga comics and graphic novels, and his favorite author was Japanese artist Junji Ito. He was a big fan of the Star Wars franchise, and any opening night of a Star Wars film was treated like a much-anticipated holiday. He loved listening to music, especially hip-hop, and always had a pair of earphones on his ears while carrying around a portable disc player that seemed to continually have a CD of Kanye West or Kendric Lamar spinning inside of it. He enjoyed his Nintendo Switch and was often playing (or arguing) over Minecraft construction projects with his sisters. He also played a gnome bard in the weekly Wednesday Dungeons & Dragons campaign he was in with his older sister and two cousins. His sudden passing came as a surprise to all and left many questions that may never be answered. Those that speak of him remember his kindness, selflessness, and his generosity towards others. Prizes he won in raffles and games were most often given to others nearby, and an eye was always kept out for someone else in need. Along with many friends and teammates, he left behind his mother and father; two older sisters, Marley and Kaylin; his paternal grandparents, Robert and Marilee, and his maternal grandmother, Sharron McKnight; his uncle Nick and aunt Mindy and his uncle Nolan and aunt Kaylee on his father’s side, and his aunt Yvonne and uncle Dan, uncle Elven, and uncle Morgan on his mother’s side; as well as cousins, Spencer, Baylee, Dexter, Daphne, Lanier, Robbie, and Devon. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Charles whose namesake he bore. The family wishes to postpone his memorial service for the time being, in order to allow those who've felt his loss the hardest time to grieve, and so that his service will be one of happiness and celebration. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations given be made to the Charles Luke Memorial Fund, through First Interstate Bank at 2601 10th Avenue South, Great Falls, MT 59403; the entirety of which will be donated to the Great Falls Public Library to purchase additional books for the Juvenile and Young Adult graphic novel departments.