(Editor’s note: This story was updated Wednesday, Aug. 5, to include information about services and other details.)
Karen Taylor, the mother of former Mater Dei basketball star Stanley Johnson, died Saturday.
Taylor, 54, had battled breast cancer for more than 20 years, according to her family.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Thursday (Aug. 6) at 10 a.m. at McAulay & Wallace Mortuary in Fullerton. The burial will be at Loma Vista Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Taylor coached her son and many other top local players on her So Cal Tigers team.
Gil Nelsen, whose son Rob played for Taylor and was an All-Orange County player at Tustin, said via email: “My son loved her soooo much and there are so many other children and parents that she affected as a coach in a loving, religious, academic and finally sports way.”
Taylor was a standout at Jackson State (she is in the school’s hall of game) and played pro basketball in Europe.
Johnson was a two-time county player of the year and played on four CIF State championships teams.
Johnson played one year at Arizona before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the first round, the eighth pick overall, this past June.
Johnson put this on his Twitter account Sunday:
“Forever in my heart
Always watching my back
My angel from above
I’m the luckiest kid in the world”
