Enlarge By Randi Weiner, The Journal News Employees and patrons of the Nyack, N.Y., Starbucks left mementos and prayers in honor of Fleming Taylor, a homeless man who frequently sat in this chair. NYACK, N.Y.  Nearly every day during the past year, Fleming Taylor walked into the Starbucks on Main Street as the doors opened, sat in the same purple velvet chair, read and discussed what was in The Wall Street Journal with other regulars, and left only when the store closed in the evening. Now the chair where the 62-year-old Taylor sat is cordoned off with black ribbon and filled with bouquets and notes announcing his death. Orangetown Police Lt. Joseph Holahan said about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, officers were sent to 80 1/2 Main St. in Nyack after someone reported a man's body in the stairwell. The death did not appear to be suspicious. Holahan said he could not confirm the man's identity because it was unclear whether all his relatives had been informed. Starbucks employees and acquaintances, however, identified the man as Taylor, and said he apparently was homeless and lived beneath the stairs where he was found. Since then, the chair where he sat has become a small shrine, visited by those who knew Taylor and a point of interest in the coffee shop for those who didn't. "I'm a regular Starbucks customer, and I think it's very nice," said Dan Rostan, 56, of Nyack. Mark Horwitz, assistant manager of the Starbucks store, said Taylor was a quiet and well-mannered man who was a fixture at the coffee shop. "Lots of college students used to chat with him. He was very friendly, very warm-hearted. People in town would buy him a Starbucks gift card and he won $40 on a single-dollar lottery ticket. He paid for everything, he was a paying customer," Horwitz said. "He just seemed to be one of those people who fell through the cracks. He had money, but not enough to live in Nyack." Starbucks employees learned of Taylor's death Wednesday, and one, Keyla Santiago, asked to do something in his honor, Horwitz said. That's when the shrine was created. People have been adding to it since. Lydia Meehan, Mallory Merryman and Jonas Black, 14-year-olds who knew of Taylor through the employees, were among several people who left mementos on the chair. "He really was just a quiet guy," said Black of Nyack. "It's interesting that lots of people care about someone like him. People like this in different cities just slip beneath the radar, and nobody knows about them. It's nice that in Nyack, everybody is treated as part of a big community family." Oleg Khaghani, 47, of Valley Cottage and Gene Homicki, 62, of Nyack, knew Taylor for years. Both men said he was a gentleman who didn't publicize his homelessness. "If any single word described him," Khaghani said, "it was 'dignified.' " Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more