Roll Call Tribute

Richard Carl "Dick" Tanner 

October 10, 1930 - February 27, 2025 

Richard Carl "Dick" Tanner passed away Thursday, February 27, 2025. He was born on October 10, 1930 in Tyler, Texas to Beulah Smith of Smith County, Texas and Carl Tanner of Longworth, Texas.

Dick also lived in Paris, Texas and Houston, Texas and had many wonderful childhood memories with his family. Crabbing in Galveston and visiting his grandparents in West Texas were some of his favorite memories. He graduated from San Jacinto High School in 1949 and entered Texas A&M University where he studied Business Administration. After graduating in 1953, he was commissioned in the Air Force and served in Francis E. Warren and Davis-Monthan. Upon returning from duty in December 1955, Dick began work at American General Life Insurance. He later worked for Gibraltar Savings until 1969. After leaving Gibraltar Savings, Dick started his own real estate appraisal company.

In 1953, Dick met Jamey on a blind date, and they were married on July 15, 1955. They have two children, Carl and Donald. The family enjoyed vacationing, traveling, and time spent at their cabin on the Guadalupe River. Another memorable family trip was to Hong Kong and Thailand.

Retiring at age 60 for health reasons, Dick moved to the Hill Country where he played tennis, grew water lilies and thrived. He also won a gold medal in the Senior Olympics for the 30-yard dash.

Dick and Jamey traveled the world together and visited over 40 countries. One of Dick's favorite places was Spain, where they drove over 2,000 miles enjoying its beauty and history. During their travels, he tried to dip his foot in as many oceans as possible and even snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef.

Besides his family, Dick was most proud of graduating from Texas A&M, becoming an accredited real estate appraiser, being the president of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers and The Tanner Fund with the Texas A&M's Mays Business School. The Tanner Fund was Mays first student-run investment fund aimed at providing Aggies with a hands-on investment experience.

Dick and Jamey moved to Arbor Oaks in Bryan, Texas in 2013. Dick was a curious man, always wanting to learn more and was known for his knowledge of "just about everything."

Dick is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Thomas and his sister Sarah. He is survived by his wife, Jamey, his son Carl Tanner of Houston, his son Donald and his wife Shera Tanner of Austin and their sons Chris Baker and Johnson Rinehart.