NSCA Hall of Fame shooter Michael A. Taylor, 83, of Rollins, Montana, passed away on May 27. In addition to being an accomplished and honored sporting clays shooter, Michael was a retired rancher, cosmetologist, state senator and businessman. He earned positions on several USA Sporting Clays and FITASC Teams and was inducted into the NSCA Hall of Fame in 2019.
Michael’s first job was sweeper at his grandparents’ barber shop/beauty salon, and he later worked at area ranches in the summers. Following high school graduation, he enlisted in the National Guard and attended and graduated from his father’s cosmetology school. Michael went on to study cosmetology in Paris, France, and Brussels, Belgium, before opening his own salons. He competed in world hairstyling competitions and was inducted in 1980 into the Cosmetology Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1979, he turned his attention to beauty supply, building the venture into a large chain of stores.
Meanwhile, he and his wife Janna turned to sheep ranching in Proctor, where their Twin Creek Ranch won Grand Champion Ram in both the Suffolk and Columbia sheep breeds. Michael was elected in 1996 to the Montana State Senate, where he served from 1997 through 2005, helping to reduce Montana business taxes to better compete with neighboring states. He was also instrumental in streamlining the state’s complex IT systems. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2002 but loved traveling his state and meeting people.
Michael was a man of many interests, and his hobbies always became vocations. His enjoyment in a wide variety of literature led him to write and publish An Angel on My Montana Shoulder: Shampoo and Guns, an autobiographical journey of struggles and perseverance into successes. Especially interesting are his adventures flying his airplane. A hunter all of his life, Michael began competing in sporting clays and winning many national and international trophies, some of which are on display at the Polson Flathead Museum. He enjoyed traveling and challenging himself — climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Evans in Oregon, and he twice missed reaching the summit of Alaska’s Mount McKinley.
A great amateur actor, Michael is best known for his Theodore Roosevelt portrayal across the state, with the help of Neal Lewing of the Port Polson Players. He was invited in that role to open the United States Park Service Convention in Washington, D.C.
He is survived by his wife, Janna; sons, Chris (Lacey) and Zachary; grandchildren, Jacob, Ivy, Violet, Voltaire, and Zya; sister-in-law, Janie; and several nephews and cousins. Michael was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Richard.
Michael will be buried in a private ceremony in the Philbrook Cemetery near Hobson. His headstone reflects his favorite T.R. Roosevelt quote: “It is far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered with failure, than to align yourself with those poor spirits that have neither suffered much nor enjoyed much because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory or defeat.”
A celebration of Michael’s life will take place at 11 a.m. on June 28 at Polson First Presbyterian Church. Memorials can be made to the Mission Valley Animal Shelter or Mission Valley Christian Academy. Messages of condolences may be shared by visiting www.lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.
