BY JENISE G. MORGAN
FLORIDA COURIER

Felicia Wintons Taylor gave much to the Tampa community, including a Black bookstore that served as the hub to find many literary works and a place to see renowned African-American authors.

Along with operating and owning a successful bookstore, she was an organizer and founding board member of the Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival.

Over the past year, she had been battling breast cancer, an illness that debilitated her and led family, friends and sorority sisters to organize a fundraiser in February to help her with mounting medical bills. Like most small business owners, she did not have health insurance.

The entrepreneur’s battle ended Nov. 14 at Tampa’s University Community Hospital where she died at age 50.

‘A bold move’

Taylor operated Books for Thought for about 15 years, but closed it in 2007. The bookstore has been featured in numerous publications, including Oprah Winfrey’s magazine and in Essence, highlighting its service to the community.

Her sister, Dr. Donna James, called the bookstore "her baby.’’

"It was a bold move," James told the Florida Courier this week about her sister’s decision to open the bookstore. "My sister was bold. She loved people. She loved doing things to help the community. She loved it. I can’t believe she’s gone.’’

Taylor was born Jan. 29, 1959, in Lake City to Lillie Mae Wintons and the late Melvin P. Wintons Sr.

She graduated from Lake City’s Columbia High School in 1977. She earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration and Finance in 1981 from the University of South Florida.

Helped others
with bookstores

For several years, Taylor worked for Citicorp before opening Books for Thought, located in Tampa’s Temple Terrace community. James said her family was surprised when Taylor left Citicorp to strike out on her own but they knew that she could do it. "My sister was a very confident, a very beautiful, confident person," James said.

Anita Lewis of St. Petersburg, who pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority with Taylor in 1979 at the University of South Florida, called her a "go-getter’’ earlier this year.

"She always knew what she wanted and worked very hard," Lewis told the Florida Courier. "She had authors from all over and it (the bookstore) was a spotlight of Tampa. It brought on a whole different meaning for that industry," Lewis noted.

Lewis recalled how her friend’s literary knowledge and business acumen extended beyond Tampa, noting that Taylor was instrumental in helping many others around the state who were interested in opening a bookstore.

‘Loyal community
servant’

Valetta Chaney of Cocoa, one of Taylor’s Delta "line sisters’’ who helped to set up a bank fund earlier in the year to help with medical expenses, referred to Taylor as a "faithful Christian, a dedicated businesswoman, and a loyal community servant.’’

"Felecia and I pledged Delta in 1979. Felecia has always been smart and friendly, and she was committed to the church ever since I knew her," Chaney told the Florida Courier.

Recently, Taylor was featured on "The Michael Baisden Show’’ in a discussion of health care. She was honored as one of the African Ambassador’s cancer survivors and wanted to join President Obama’s health care team as an advocate for the uninsured.

Planned to open
anti-bullying school

She was a member of Prevailing Word Worship Center, where her husband, the Rev. Nathan Taylor, serves as pastor. The Taylors had been working on opening Taylor Peace Academy in Tampa, one of the state’s first anti-bullying schools.

Along with her husband, Taylor is survived by her mother, Lillie Mae Wintons, six brothers and four sisters.

A wake will be held from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 22 at Ray Williams Funeral Home, 301 N. Howard Avenue, Tampa. Funeral services will be held at noon Nov. 23 at Springhill Missionary Baptist Church, 8119 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tampa.