Suzanne M. K. Tanner

Suzanne M. K. Tanner died at the age of 67 on Friday, July 12, 2024 at her home in Danville in the embrace of her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly 42 years, Tim, and the love of her family. For the previous 3 years, she demonstrated to her family and friends how to keep on living despite having an incurable cancer.

The third of five children, Suzanne was born to Col. (Ret.) James Kendall and Barbara (Moffitt) Kendall at the Homestead Air Force Base in Homestead, FL on July 10, 1957. She traveled with her family up and down the eastern United States, from Shreveport, LA to Limestone, ME, wherever her father’s career took them. Arriving in Plattsburgh, NY the middle of her junior year of high school, Suzanne attended Plattsburgh High School, where she met Tim. Graduating in 1975, she went on to earn her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree at Kutztown State College in 1979. She worked for the Yale School of Medicine graphic art department while her soon-to-be husband attended medical school. Following the births of her two sons, she worked part time weaving and creating fiber art, and full time child rearing. With two active boys child rearing frequently looked more like child chasing. She and her family followed Tim’s career, from New Haven, CT to Buffalo, NY, to Bemidji, MN and ultimately, in 1993, to Danville. At each location, she made lifelong friends. In Danville, she continued to produce art. Handmade paper and collages were her principle mediums. Her career turned back to graphic art during the 10 years she was a co-owner of the North Star Monthly, creating ads and layout for each issue. She also joined the staff at The Riverside School in Lyndonville where for the next 2 decades she was the art teacher, until ovarian cancer ended her career.

Suzanne loved flowers and her flower gardens. She showed no mercy to goutweed, trespassing grass or over exuberant perennials. She loved to cook and was not afraid to try new recipes regardless of the number of pans and cooking utensils required. She loved to be creative and fostered creativity in her children, grandchildren and students. She was a kind and gifted listener, supporting friends and family in times of distress. She enjoyed many outdoor activities. She and Tim rode thousands of gravel road miles on their tandem bicycle, she in the second seat. Even without access to brakes or gear shifting, she was able to control the speed of descent or length of the ride through tone of voice, or silence.

Her mother, Barbara Kendall, predeceased Suzanne. She is survived by her husband, Tim Tanner, MD, her two sons, Nick Tanner and Steve Tanner, her two daughter-in-laws, Amanda and Eileen, and her four grandchildren, Lucy, Emmett, Emmy Lou and Liam. Of her Kendall family, she is survived by her father, James Kendall, sisters, Sally Lawing and her husband Ken, Nancy Gauvin and her husband Steve, Mary Cook and her husband Steve and her brother Mike Kendall and his wife Lee. Of her Tanner family, she is survived by her mother-in-law Louise Tanner, brother-in-law Stetson Tanner and his wife Suanne, sisters-in-law Beth Schwarz and her husband Erik, and Katie Cultrara and her husband Jim. She has many loving nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

There will not be visiting hours or a funeral. The family is planning a celebration of her life and scattering of her ashes for some time in late summer. Gifts in her memory may be made to The Riverside School or the Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

When you see a colorful garden, remember her. When you try a new recipe that requires every pot, pan and cooking utensil in your kitchen, remember her. When you have a creative inspiration, remember her. When you listen with intent and without judgement to the struggles of a friend or family member, remember her. 

Stories, memories and condolences may be shared at www.csnh.com.