Sherrill Taylor

Class of 2025

A pioneer for women in the confectionery industry, Sherrill “Sherry” Taylor is defined by her unrelenting commitment to faith, family, and hard work. She joins her husband Robert “Bob” Taylor Sr. and son Robert Taylor, Jr., in the Candy Hall of Fame.

One of four children, Sherry was born on March 18, 1934, in Moultrie, GA, to Ella and George Smith. She learned resilience and frugality from her parents, as she never forgot watching them burn the accounts receivables from the general store they lost during the Great Depression.

After graduating from Moultrie High School, Sherry earned an associate’s degree from Valdosta State University in 1954 and began working in the advertising department at Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Atlanta. During college, she met Robert “Bob” Taylor in a history class, and they married in 1956.

Sherry’s journey into the candy industry began in 1969 when she helped broker a deal between her brother Hubert and her husband to purchase The Ronald F. Burdette Co. The brokerage later evolved into Burdette Beckmann Inc. (BBI) in 1985 after merging with the Fred G. Beckmann Co.

She joined the company in 1972 and over the next 46 years she rose from Accounting and Payroll Manager to Chief Financial Officer, helping transform the company from a five-person operation into a nationwide agency of more than 250 associates. Her leadership helped push the industry forward, expanding BBI’s reach beyond traditional retail into omnichannel strategies. Colleagues and clients alike valued her professional integrity, meticulous attention to detail, and sense of humor.

However, Sherry was known for more than her business acumen. She co-founded Sheridan House Ministries to support local families and the organization granted her its Lifetime Service Award in 2016. She was a member of the Sheridan Hills Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school and financial literacy courses, and served on the School Board.

Her advice to others in the industry was to find a mentor and learn from them. Sherry was deeply grateful for the commitment of industry leaders and appreciated the success of the next generation of women in the industry, including BBI associate Stacey Rutherford, who was inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame in 2022.

She was the proud mother of Robin and Robert Jr., grandmother to Shelby, Brantley, and Wilson, and great-grandmother to Smith and Wesley. Her family says she’d want to be remembered as a good steward of her family’s blessings, noting her most cherished career moment was watching her son lead BBI into a new era.

Sherry mentored two generations of candy industry professionals and credited her own success to prayer, hard work, collaboration, and great customers. Her signature phrase, “Make sure they hear you smile,” continues on as a guiding principle at BBI that still resonates today.

A woman with a love for chocolate in any form, Sherry passed away on January 13, 2024, leaving a legacy of excellence, hard work, and generosity.