November 19, 2007 - February 15, 2026

Sean Taylor’s brief, bright life ended in the early minutes of February 15.

Sean was a lifelong Millbrae resident who absolutely loved the Bay Area. He was a deeply thoughtful, extremely funny, and compassionate soul with long, gorgeous hair that made him look like Hollywood Jesus. He was beautiful in every conceivable way.

Music ran through every cell in his body. Sean (also known as Rowan to some) was an extraordinary keyboard player and singer, plucking music from the air and playing with tremendous passion. When he was 11, he fell in love with a Yamaha MODX8 Synthesizer he would play at Guitar Center most weekends, and then saved every dollar for two years to buy it for himself. The talent he honed in his room on that keyboard, Sean shared with all of us lucky enough to hear him play and sing anywhere a piano appeared before him.

While Sean’s taste in music was limitless, he had a special love for Billy Joel’s music, whether perfecting the opening strains of "Vienna" or leading people in a loud singalong of "Piano Man." At home, Sean and his brother Phio jammed and sang spectacularly together, and he spent valiant hours trying to teach me (his mother) to harmonize. He also spent many days and nights participating in the local music scene in SF and the East Bay, where he was beloved member of a community of artists.

Born in San Francisco and a resident of Millbrae since the age of 2, Sean was a Senior at Capuchino High School. Previously, he attended Taylor Middle School and Lomita Park Elementary.

All donations to his Memorial will go towards preserving Sean's legacy of music, kindness, and generosity in the SF Bay Area. As we do not know how much we will raise in these months since his passing, we are unsure exactly what form this will take. We will update everyone as soon as we begin the work of transforming donations into that which will honor Sean's legacy. Until then, we have established a 501(c)(3), and will distribute the funds transparently later this year.

Share photos and memories here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/san-francisco-ca/sean-taylor-12754095

Whether or not you are able to donate, please play your favorite song and sing it with your entire soul for Sean.