James H. Tanner of Lynn, MA, passed away October 9th at the age of 73, following a brief illness. He was the son of the late Edith V. (Dahlquist) Tanner and John J. Tanner of Chelsea. Jim leaves his loving wife Nadine H. Mironchuk, and beloved son Daniel and grandson Cyrus, of Lynn. Jim had been predeceased by his cherished wife Donna (Higgins) Tanner.
Jim graduated from Everett Vocational High School in 1966; he subsequently graduated from ITT Technical Institute; Bryant and Stratton Junior College and Northeastern University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology.
He was a veteran of the United States Navy, serving with VAQ-33, an aviation Electronic Counter Measures squadron on both aircraft carriers U.S.S. Intrepid and U.S.S Independence.
Jim worked in the medical device industry for over 35 years and was employed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an investigator for over 26 years. He retired as the FDA’s New England District Medical Device Specialist. He was the first FDA-certified Medical Device Auditor, conducting audits, investigations, and training nationwide, and in England and Japan. He earned many FDA awards, including two individual FDA Commendable Service Awards for recognizing and tracking failures of critical medical devices, and for infant sleep apnea monitors, which resulted in the prevention of serious physical injuries or deaths to patients.
Jim was active in the Disabled American Veterans, where he had served as both the Massachusetts State Commander and State Treasurer; the Chelsea Chapter DAV Commander; President of the national DAV State Commanders Association; and as a DAV National Executive Committee member. He was recognized by the DAV and Veterans Administration for having 2,500 volunteer hours at the Bedford (MA) VA Hospital as a DAV Service Officer advocate, assisting veterans in obtaining their earned benefits.
He was a Notary Public; a member of the Cary Square Club in Chelsea; the Gen. Lander Civil War Round Table in Lynn; the South Weymouth Naval Air Station VP Association; the Massachusetts Selective Service System Appeals Board; and the American Society of Quality, where he was a senior member and a Certified Qualified Auditor.
Following his retirement, Jim traveled around the country with his late wife Donna while she proudly served as National Commander of the DAV Auxiliary, and, following her passing, with Nadine, an amateur Civil War historian and editor of historical publications. He enjoyed photography; studying history; traveling to Civil War battlefields with his Civil War Round Table friends; living part-time in St. Petersburg, FL; socializing with his many companions and friends, and – especially – spending time with his dear grandson, Cyrus. He was an amateur genealogist, finding out recently that he was a descendant of Roger Williams, a Puritan dissident who left Massachusetts for Rhode Island, where he could escape the oppression of the Boston Puritans.
A Celebration of Life in honor of Jim will be held Friday, November 19th, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the DAV’s Lt. Dexter W. Clifford Chapter 85 Hall, 85 Willow St., Malden, MA, where military honors will be held. A buffet lunch will follow. All are welcome to attend and share memories of a lifelong patriot; a loyal friend; and a loving husband, father and grandfather. Interment at Bay Pines National Cemetery in Tampa, FL, will take place at a later date.
