John Tanner

1930 - 2023

John Eyer Tanner, Jr. died in a Michigan hospital on August 11, 2023. He was 93.

John's life was guided by his curious nature and commitment to the common good. His career in the sciences didn't prevent him from climbing mountains, skiing, sailing, paddling, backpacking, getting a pilot's license, attempting hang gliding, singing in a choir, playing in recorder group, folk dancing, learning to speak German, French and Spanish, traveling to every continent except Antarctica, cultivating a fruit orchard, volunteering for community service and political action; or from raising three kids.

John was born in Cleveland, OH, to parents Irene Goodfellow Rogers (formerly Tanner) and John Eyer Tanner. Chemistry and physics found him at an early age. He took his undergraduate degree in physical chemistry from Oberlin College, followed by Master's and doctoral degrees from Indiana University and University of Wisconsin - Madison. He was unaware at the time that a theory he was developing would launch a new branch of study and lead to the invention of modern medical imaging technology. But economic conditions of the 1960s would take his career in other directions.

In 1966 John married Martha Hester of Gainesville, FL. Their careers and love of the outdoors drew them from the Midwest to Idaho in 1979, where John took a position at the Idaho National Laboratory as a nuclear criticality safety analyst. They remained for more than 42 years at the same address. Weekends were occupied by backcountry skiing or ice skating in the winter, and canoeing or hiking in the summer. His family began a tradition of annual week-long treks; a tradition still followed by his children's families.

Following the onset of schizophrenia in their youngest child, John and Martha became outspoken advocates for better treatment of people with mental illness. They worked to raise awareness among politicians and law enforcement and took leadership roles in the Idaho chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

In 2016, John's early research work found him once again. To his utter surprise, John was called to Singapore to accept an Honorary Fellowship in the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and then invited to Cardiff, England, to speak as the guest of honor at their 2017 conference.

Devastated by Martha's death in 2021, John left Idaho to live closer to his daughter. John's daily walks/skis never stopped until a faulty heart valve laid him down.

He is survived by three children - Clare and Craig Tanner of Battle Creek, MI, and Bryce Tanner of Albany, CA; and four grandchildren - Irene VanNocker, Lansing, MI, October (Toby) VanNocker posted to the USS Ronald Reagan in Yokosuka, Japan, and Kai and Nilsa Tanner of Albany, CA.

To make a donation in John's name, consider: National Alliance for the Mentally Ill https://www.nami.org, Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org, or Nature Conservancy https://www.nature.org/en-us. A memorial will be held in Idaho Falls and on Zoom on Sept. 23, register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/memorial-for-john-e-tanner-jr-tickets-699334988777.