Obituary of Murray Lawrence Tanner
it is with heavy hearts that the family of Murray Tanner announce his gentle and peaceful passing in the early morning of Sunday January 5, 2025.
Our dad was born on April 3, 1936 in Wolfville, NS. Although he grew up without an abundance of monetary wealth, he was the richest man in the world in family love and loyalty. When his mom passed while he was a very young boy his grandmother Schofield took him in and raised him alongside his uncles as one of her own boys. A gesture he was grateful for up to his last breaths. He had a deep love and respect for his grandmother for the upbringing she gave him. When his dad returned from WW2 with a life changing injury dad remained with his grandmother but spent many hours going back and forth to his dad's to help in any way that he could, forging a bond with his father and stepmother that lasted their entire lifetime.
His frugal and sometimes challenging childhood prepared him for his adult life in which he faced many hard times with strength and perseverance. He passed on his strong work ethic, respect for elders and gratitude for all that we have to us kids through his constant example of each of these traits.
Underlying in all that he did was always a wicked sense of humor and a relentless need to tease! We all had nicknames growing up and you could never be prepared for what he might say next! And nobody was safe from this humor or teasing!! If you spent any amount of time with Dad you likely had a taste of his humor and perhaps some teasing as well.
He wasn't a loud outspoken Christian but his faith ran quietly and deep. He believed and had faith in the Lord Jesus and we are confident that he was met with open arms.
Dad was also met on the other side by a number of loved ones. They included his beloved grandparents on both sides and his Father (Gilbert), his Mother (Mary) and Step-Mother (Lydia). His only sibling, his sister Leota. His first wife, Helen. Their young son, Gilbert and their oldest daughter, Terry. His second wife, Charlotte and her son Larry. His third wife, Joan. And of course, his son-in-law Bruce, who he has missed dearly. We are sure he was also met by lots of aunts, uncles and cousins and many many friends that he made throughout his almost 89 years.
Left behind to mourn his passing and miss him immensely are his son, Matt. His daughters Tanya and Mary and Mary's husband Jeff. His grandchildren: Noel, Mick, Sage, Cameron, Erik, Greg, Mitchell, Jacob, Krystal, Emily, Cody and Kaitlin. Their significant others and children. His second wife's adult children and their families, including Lisa, who he adopted as a toddler. Their significant others and children. As well as his third wife's adult children and their families. A few of Dad's longtime friends are left to remember him as well as a couple very special friends he made during his brief time at Moody Hall. Each of us formed an unique bond with Dad and have memories of our own that we will cherish and carry forward with us as we strive to live without the backbone of our family and try to continue to make him proud.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the VON homecare workers, the nurses in Med A at Valley Regional Hospital who treated Dad with such respect and kindness. We extend a huge thank you and sincere gratitude to the staff of Moody Hall, Shannex. Especially the nursing staff of Ludlow Hall. In the short time he was at Moody Hall he had the nurses wrapped around his little finger. He couldn't say enough good about the care he got from them all. He developed relationships with the staff that touched many hearts.
We thank Serenity Funeral Homes for their respectful and caring handling of our Dad's wishes at this difficult time.
As per Dad's wishes we will not have a formal funeral. We will however, have a reception at the Black River Community Hall on Sunday January 12th at 2 o'clock. We invite anyone who would like to join us in remembering our Dad to come have a bite to eat (food is our family's love language after all!) and share a story or memory with us.
