N.B. Tanner III

1942 - 2023

N.B. (Bonn) Tanner III (80) died on July 23, 2023, in Humble Texas. He was born in Beeville, Texas to N.B. Tanner, Jr. and Mahala (Smith) Tanner on July 29, 1942. Bonn started gathering medals and awards at an early age, as he was an Eagle Scout. Bonn graduated from A.C. Jones High School in Beeville, Texas, in 1960 as salutatorian of his class and graduated from Texas A&I in 1965 with an engineering degree. Upon graduation, Bonn entered the United States Air Force in 1965. He was a Disabled Combat Veteran from the Vietnam War, earning 16 medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross while piloting the C-130 airplane in Southeast Asia for 14 months. Bonn married Jo Lynn Gough on September 6, 1969, and they later divorced in December 1985. After retiring from the Air Force Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel, he completed his career as a pilot for Continental Airlines when he retired in 2002. Bonn's lifelong passion and hobby was dealing with and restoring classic cars. He was also an excellent bridge, poker, and blackjack player. Bonn was predeceased by his parents and his brother, George Tanner.

He is survived by his brother, Jimmy (Dawn) Tanner; sister-in-law, Daryl Tanner; nephews, Clete Tanner and Ben (Helen) Tanner; nieces, Patti (Howard) Betts and Kathleen (Beau) Beduze; great-nephews, Tanner (Courtney) Betts, Luke Tanner and Tanner Beduze; and great-nieces, Sheridan (Anthony) Betts Wildes, Madeline (Grant) Evans, Caroline Tanner and Madison Beduze.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, July 31, at Galloway & Sons Funeral Home in Beeville.

Pallbearers will be Clete Tanner, James Blackburn, Tony Floerke, Neal Floerke, Bill Fowler and Jimmy Grant.

A graveside service with full military honors will be conducted at 10 a.m. Tuesday, August 1, at Glenwood Cemetery.