The following is from Ronald Reagan Speaking My Mind, Simon and Schuster, 1999, p. 46:

Now you might wonder why I put this eulogy to Robert Taylor in here. It obviously has nothing to do with my being governor or the development of my political thought.

I placed this among the collection because I honestly believe eulogies have significance, and I included many eulogies in this book because I believe they are some of the most important speeches I’ve ever given. I don’t mean because they changed the fate of the nation in any way, but because it’s a very great responsibility to capture the spirit of an individual and what he or she meant to the world.

You can give comfort. You can give your perspective. To be asked to give a eulogy is a great honor because you have the power to sum up a human life. I’ve always taken this power quite seriously.

I liked Robert Taylor a lot. We were good friends; and since I still think about him now and then, I guess you could say I miss him.

Blogger’s thought: what part did Robert Taylor play in Ronald Reagan’s conversion from liberalism? They apparently talked politics for hours when they were neighbors. Could Mr. Taylor have played his part in the winning of the Cold War and the defeat of the Soviet Union, which he hated? I hope so.