Glen Woodland Tanner's Obituary
Glen Woodland Tanner, age 68, died in his home on or around September 29, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah, following an acute illness. Glen was born on October 19, 1953, the fifth and youngest child of DeOnge Woodland Tanner and Mary Grace Edwards Tanner in Ogden, Utah, where he grew up. He also had five older brothers and sisters from his father’s first marriage.
After graduating from Ogden High School in 1971, Glen served in Australia as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including time as the singer in a travelling mission band. The Church continued as a pillar for him throughout his life. He especially enjoyed opportunities to teach.
Glen married Jeri Grigg after his mission service. They had two children, Sarah and Rachael. They later divorced. Glen then was married to GeneAnn Willis. They also had two children, Mary and Matthew. This marriage ended in divorce. He then married Janene Thackeray, and they had three children, Jordan, Kathryn, and Hayley. Glen and Janene were separated for a number of years, but maintained a cordial relationship.
Glen was a lover of music from his earliest days. He had a beautiful singing voice and performed on various levels: solos in church, choral groups in school, and local rock-and-roll bands (his favorite!) He also had a fascination with computers dating back at least to the appearance of the first “Pong” game console at Rainbow Gardens in Ogden. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he obtained a degree in information technology and was able to work with computers for the last years of his work life.
Glen had a sense of humor ranging from the sophisticated to the absurd, with a special affection for outrageous puns.
Glen loved his family, especially his children, but a life-long struggle with depression and ADHD kept him from forming the stable relationships that he craved.
Glen is survived by Janene, his children, eleven-and-a-half grandchildren, his sisters Zola Lykins and Ann (Ben) Boogher, and his brothers LeRoy, Paul (Ann), and Stephen (Lynn), and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, four siblings (Earl Dee, Richard (Dick), and Carolyn, all children from DeOnge’s first marriage, and Mary Jane, the daughter of DeOnge and Grace), and his granddaughter Justice.
“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”
Graveside services will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022, at 11:00 am at the Leavitt Aultorest Memorial Park, 836 36th Street, Ogden, Utah.
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