Charles Dale Tanner

Charles Dale Tanner, age 87 of Fortescue, NJ, died on October 15, 2024 surrounded by his loving family. Dale was born on December 30, 1936 in Stonefort, Illinois to his late parents John Charles “JC” Tanner and Rosa Lucille Felty Tanner (Curtner).

Dale always had a creative mind and gifted engineering skills. At the age of 12 he created a tomato shiner and an electric probe to draw out fishing worms from the ground. He attended a one-room schoolhouse and went on to graduate from the Indiana Institute of Technology. Dale’s love of engineering manifested into a career of inventing, focused on the manufacturing industry, including: Scott Paper’s “Scott Tots” diaper machine and their first two-ply Viva paper towel machine. Dale co-founded a home insulation company (T & S Home Foamers) and was owner of Tanner Engineering, Inc, where he designed, patented and manufactured precision-metered air-tight filling machines and the most efficient assembly line designs for their time.

Dale fostered many friendships from his workplaces (including Scott Paper, T & S Home Foamers, Link Belt, Fowler, and Ratioflo a Division of Tanner Engineering, Inc.) and from all his other adventures living in Fort Wayne, IN; Swedesboro, NJ; Woodbury Heights, NJ; Binghamton, NY; Watkinsville, GA; and on the Delaware Bay in Fortescue, NJ!

If Dale wasn’t at the drawing board he was singing and strumming the guitar, swimming, gardening, making popcorn, playing cards with friends, boating or fishing. He designed and made his own buck-tail lures and became an expert at tying fishing knots, some he probably created himself.

Dale was predeceased by his previous wives Virginia Harre (Tanner) Steward and Janet Wilkinson Tanner; stepfather Charles “Charlie” Curtner, brother Daniel Stephenson Curtner;

stepbrothers Charles Curtner, Harold Curtner; stepsister Vessie Curtner Blackman; and nieces Myra Blackman and Kristie Curtner.

Survivors include Dale’s wife Vivianna Reed Tanner; his sister Rosa Lisa Curtner Weiss (Gary); daughters Virginia T. Harriett (Robert), Judith T. Link (Randall), and Cheryl T. Roethke (Christopher); grandchildren Shawn Robert Harriett, Michael James Harriett (Molly), Jennifer Katherine Roethke LiSooey (James), and Christopher Ryan Roethke; great-grandchildren Tate Walker Harriett, Mattie Ella Harriett, and Roe Garey Harriett; step children Ernie Dorrier, Doug Dorrier (Kristen), Chico Henderson (Ruth), Christopher Henderson (Cassidy) and their families.

Dale’s memory will also be honored by his nieces and nephews: Michael Alan Curtner, Lorraine Kay Weiss Mosca, Lana Beth Weiss, Cathy Curtner Corsi, Angela Blackman, Mark Blackman, Elizabeth Blackman, Margaret Curtner, Sarah Curtner, and Anne Curtner and their families.

Services are private at the request of the family.

In remembrance of Dale’s life, the family asks that any donations be made to Fortescue Chapel at 157 New Jersey Ave, Fortescue, NJ 08321

(BradleyStow.com)

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