Remembering Dr. Richard Tanner

The folllowing tribute was submitted by the late Dr. Richard Tanner's son, Steven Tanner: 

Dr. Richard Tanner passed away on Tuesday, June 29.  He was 83 years old.

My father was a family doctor in Bradford from 1973 until his retirement in 2005.  In those 32 years, he was active in the community and came to know many in Bradford. 

In reminiscing with friends who knew my dad we thought it appropriate to write a short note about his life in Bradford. My parents arrived in Bradford in October of 1973 and lived initially in an apartment above what is now the Pioneer restaurant on Holland Street West.  They moved to an apartment on Drury Street (now called Park Place) and then to a house on Britannia Avenue before making their final move to a newly constructed home on Patrician Court in 1978.  That is where my memories begin.

In those early years, Bradford was a small town of only a few thousand.  My father was drawn to Bradford by a job offer from Dr. Blackwell who had a practice on Joseph Street.  My parents felt that Bradford was a nice town in which to raise a family.  My dad developed valued friendships with many, and the outdoors was always near.  Together, family, friends, and the outdoors formed the core of my dad’s life in Bradford.

My mom was my dad’s best friend.  When my mom returned to the workforce after raising me, she joined my dad’s practice and helped manage it.  Together, they ensured that my father always had time for me.  For example, my dad joined a group of doctors who shared season tickets for a new expansion team, the Toronto Blue Jays.  For about 15 years my dad would block off dates throughout the season when the tickets were distributed (probably over beers).  He never missed a game.  As the Jays improved this came to include playoff games.  He recently recounted a favourite Blue Jays memory; taking me to game three of the 1992 World Series.  He remembered vividly Devon White’s famous catch off the wall and “the triple play that wasn’t”, as he called it.  He never lost his sharp memory.

My dad formed many close friendships during his time in Bradford, including with patients.  Many evenings were spent with friends having dinner, often “meat and potatoes” with some beverage of choice.  We also shared camping trips, vacations, and sporting activities with these close friends.  When health challenges presented themselves, these friends were always there in support.  Their support never wavered.  

The outdoors were a big part of my dad’s life.  His love for photography, and in particular scenery and butterflies, was understood by anyone who stepped into his office or our home on Patrician Court.  The walls were canvases for his photographs which transformed both locales into galleries.  My dad combined his love for photography with community activities in Bradford.  This included frequent donations of his artwork to support the Canadian Cancer Society and slideshows to support the town’s efforts to “Save Scanlon Creek”.  Those latter efforts were particularly meaningful for my dad.

Scanlon Creek was set to close in the early 1990s because government finances were tight.  My dad wrote an op-ed in the town’s newspaper at that time to galvanize public opinion in support of Scanlon Creek.  Thanks to the efforts of many, including my dad, the community raised enough money and created enough political pressure to ensure that Scanlon Creek remained operational. My dad’s pictures of Scanlon Creek remain on display in my home, my mom’s house, and the Zuercher’s home (close family friends and former patients of my dad).  Some of those pictures are unrecognizable as Scanlon Creek has changed significantly over the years.  The lake which once served as a local swimming hole has been drained and in 2022 a new nature centre is set to open.  I know my dad remained proud of the community’s efforts to keep the park open and would have enjoyed visiting the nature centre when it opened.  

My dad’s contributions to the community he served were noted upon his retirement.  On December 2, 2005, then-Mayor Frank Jonkman commemorated the event with a letter that stated in part: “We will never forget the selfless time and effort you dedicated to looking after our precious residents.”  My parents moved away from Bradford but my dad never forgot those “precious residents”; his friends and the small town of a few thousand people that gave our family so much.

The photograph that accompanies this piece is from last year and encapsulates much of my dad’s life in Bradford.  The photo is taken in High Park, which my dad and I would pass as he drove us to Blue Jay games at Exhibition Stadium.  It shows my dad enjoying time outside with my mom and my dad’s photography acumen being passed down to me, the photographer.