TANNER, Frederick “Freddie” George

With heavy hearts, we announce to you that our Dad, Fred, passed away on April 4, 2021 at the age of 76, in North Queens Nursing Home, Caledonia, surrounded by love.

Dad was born on May 28, 1944 in Blue Rocks, NS, to Greville and Maude (Tanner) Tanner. He was the youngest of six children and the last surviving sibling.

Dad graduated from Centre Consolidated School and went on to become a Machinist. He completed his apprenticeship at Lunenburg Foundry and Engineering and remained there for his entire career - 41 years - on the Shop floor and later, as Shop Foreman. He was a proud, dedicated employee and apprenticed many young Machinists over the years.

He was a lifelong, faithful member of St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Blue Rocks and he truly loved the fellowship there.

He and our Mom built our family home on Silver Point Road, Garden Lots in 1971. Dad continued to live there until his first major stroke in 2016. Dad loved to be outside surrounded by nature; whether it be in his garden, in his boat catching mackerel or exploring islands, hunting (in the earlier years he took his gun but later on, he just went for walks in the woods dressed in hunter orange!), or insisting that we go for treks in the woods after a rain so we could smell the forest or walk on winter nights under a full moon. He loved his surroundings. He also enjoyed holidays and decorating for them, lobster dinners and making solomon gundy for all of us.

He spent countless Saturday nights playing crib with Hardy (Merrill Strong) while the Oldies played on the radio, and many mornings with his neighbouring buddies, Fred Knickle and Raymond Naas walking the road. We are thankful for their friendship to Dad.

For the past four-plus years, he has been a resident of North Queens Nursing Home, Caledonia. Although it certainly wasn’t the closest Nursing Home near us, he was treated with so much love and compassion there, that we never considered moving him. We are forever grateful for the amazing care provided by everyone there.

Fred is survived by his daughters, Melinda (Leo) Dorey of Martin’s River, NS and Tammy Tanner-Ottens (Jerry Mahar) of Garden Lots, NS; his grandchildren, Caitlyn Dorey (Adam Lambert) of Bedford, NS, Ryan Dorey of Halifax, NS, Madison and Sophie Ottens of Garden Lots, NS; one precious great-granddaughter, Elodie Lambert of Bedford, NS; our Mom, Diane Spinney; sister-in-law, Sylvia Tanner; and numerous nieces and nephews. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his siblings: Ray Tanner (wife Ruby Tanner), Cecil Tanner, Creighton Tanner, Barbara Dominey (husband Walter Dominey) and very recently, Amy Tanner (husband Max Tanner and their children Chris Tanner, Katherine Ann Tanner and an infant son), as well as our material grandparents, Cecil and Roberta Walters of Garden Lots.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Dana L. Sweeny Funeral Home, 11213 Highway 3, Lunenburg. A funeral service was held on Friday, April 9 at 2 p.m. from St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Blue Rocks. The Very Reverend John Wright officiated. Interment followed at Upper Blue Rocks Cemetery, Blue Rocks.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital, the IWK Health Centre or to a charity of your choice. www.sweenyfuneralhome.ca