William R. Tahnk

William R. Tahnk

Pittsfield, NH - William R. "Bill" Tahnk, 79, of Pittsfield, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024 at Brigham & Women's Hospital with his family by his side.

Bill was born on November 7, 1945 in St. Paul, MN, son of the late Charles and Clair (Duerr) Tahnk. He attended Saint Agnes in St. Paul from kindergarten through 12th grade. He acquired degrees from Texas A&M and MIT, majoring in Meteorology and joined the Air Force to serve his country proudly, stationed mostly in Taiwan. Upon his return he settled first in Arlington, MA and then in Winchester, MA. After the Air Force, he continued working in the field of Meteorology while combining that with his passion for computer science. He worked at Lincoln Labs and later had a long career at Weather Systems Inc (WSI) where he developed some of the first radar images to be shown on the evening news on tv. Later in life, he decided to return to school to continue his education, receiving his Doctorate from Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University where he did research in the field and taught. After graduation he relocated to New Hampshire so he could be closer to his two sons and grandchildren and purchased a small hobby farm.

Upon his retirement and move to NH he started volunteering with the New Hampshire State Forest Nursery division. He showed such love for the land and the work, he was offered a part-time job working 2-3 days a week in all different aspects. When Bill was home, he could be found gardening, tending to his berries, grape vineyard, fruit and nut tree orchard, making wine, bee keeping and making honey, boiling maple syrup and creating intricate works of stained glass. He was also an avid lover of antique sports cars, owning several over his lifetime.

Besides his parents, Bill was predeceased by his four siblings, Mary, Chuck, Tom and Bruce.

Bill (also affectionately known as Grampy) is survived by his wife, Robin Hlobeczy Tahnk of Pittsfield, sons, Joseph Tahnk and his wife Stephanie of Winchester, MA and Jeffrey Tahnk and his wife Jeana of Newburyport, MA, six grandchildren (Jasper, Madeline, Alexandra, Owen, Avery and Elsie) and never to be forgotten, his dog, Cody.

At this time there are no services planned. The Roan Family Funeral Home – Still Oaks Chapel in Epsom is assisting the family with arrangements. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.roanfamilyfuneral.com