Gareth Tanner

Gareth died peacefully in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, at age 97.  Born in Boulder, Colorado, Gareth enjoyed small town life in nearby Nederland until 1937 when the family moved to Boulder. He attended University Hill School and then Boulder High School. Eager to follow suit with his older brothers and serve his country, he completed high school early and enlisted in the US Army Air Corps at age 17. Gareth served in the Atlantic Theater as part of the Mighty Eighth Air Force where he completed 35 missions as a waist gunner on B-17s in 1944-45. Upon completion of his military service and with the aid of the GI Bill, he matriculated into the University of Colorado where he graduated with a degree in business finance in 1948.  Somewhere along the way Gareth adopted the nickname “Cy” after his Uncle Silas Tanner of the Tanner Brothers Grocery Store in Nederland.

Cy worked in sales from 1948-1954, at which time he was “lucky to be hired” in the land department of Continental Oil Company (Conoco) in Denver and enjoyed working in “Denver’s tallest office building”. There he met a wonderful Iowa girl (Martha Lee Wright) and they eloped in Raton, New Mexico in 1956. Work took him and his new bride to Billings, Casper, Houston, back to Casper, and then back to Billings in 1961 where they settled to raise their family. He greatly enjoyed his work as an independent oil and gas lease broker as well as the camaraderie of the Petroleum Club and the Yellowstone Country Club and time outdoors in Big Sky Country.

Starting in 1995, Cy and Martha spent the winters in Rio Verde, Arizona, enjoying many new friends, playing golf and hosting their extended family for vacations. In 2013, Cy and Martha moved to Denver to be near family. Cy spent his remaining years alongside Martha at the Vi at Highlands Ranch retirement community where they built more new friendships with both residents and staff. The family wishes to express their deep appreciation to the employees at the Vi Care Center for the excellent personal care given to Cy and Martha.

Celebrating 66 years of marriage last March, Martha was the love of his life and Cy always had a song to serenade her with, even in his final days. He was a devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather who possessed a big heart, a larger than life personality and boundless generosity. He was a man of quiet faith who often expressed, “I can’t wait to get to heaven.”

Cy was preceded in death by his parents, Ira and Irene Tanner and his brothers, Ira and Henry Tanner. He is survived by his wife, Martha Lee Wright Tanner (Highlands Ranch), daughters Jill Tanner Bell (Mark) of Fort Collins, Betsy Tanner Joyce (John) of Centennial, Carol Tanner Madison (George) of Arlington, VA; grandsons Nate Bell, Tanner Joyce, Johnny Joyce, Peter Joyce, Zach Madison and granddaughters Rachel McCubbin, Abby Bain and Hannah Madison, along with 14 great grandchildren.

LIVESTREAM LINK: https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=570d3ca9-7300-4ac0-a9fb-91384f786f34

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Food Bank of the Rockies, 10700 E. 45th Avenue, Denver, CO 80239; Billings Food Bank, 2112 4th Avenue North, Billings, MT 59101; or Loving Haiti, a nonprofit founded by granddaughter Abby Bell Bain, 7224 Brittany Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

Condolences may be made at www.Horancares.com