George E. Tanner

George Tanner, son of father, Howard, Sr. and mother, Velma, was born in the town of Newhall, CA in 1922. His father took a job as superintendent of the Clearwater School District, and George, along with brothers Howard, Jr. and Don, moved to the Downey area. He attended Lincoln Elementary School, and then Compton High School where he excelled both scholastically and athletically. After graduation, he enrolled at USC. When World War II broke out, he enlisted in the navy and was chosen to receive training as a navigation officer in Mobile, AL. He put his experience to use several times as his ship made its way across the Pacific Ocean to Guam and later fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima. After the war, George went back to USC as a business major. He married Lois Mae Bendetti in 1948 and they had five children, four boys and one girl. George opened Paramount Furniture with co-partner, Jim Stevens in 1960. He was a member of the Paramount Lions Club and also served on the city’s water board for a number of years. He was an avid golfer who shot in the 70’s more often than not. He underwent triple bypass in 1978, a fairly new procedure at the time, and in 1984, retired from the furniture business. George kept busy taking trips up to Yosemite with wife, Lois, golfing locally and going on fishing trips up to Silver Lake with friends Roy Hodgson and Bruce Baumann. He was active in his church, Our Lady Of The Rosary in Paramount, serving on the church board, as a eucharistic minister, a confirmation sponsor, and head of the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner programs for the poor. He was known throughout the congregation as “St. George”. He even wrote his own prayer called “Thank You For Another Day” and handed out hundreds of the prayer cards to anyone who’d like a copy. He had a great sense of humor and a quick wit, was very handy around the house fixing just about anything, and was also an inventor, receiving a patent for a shoulder harness device for shopping carts at the age 91. George finally succumbed to pneumonia at age 97. He was the kind of person that truly touched others through his kindness and giving nature, and was loved by so many. He will truly be missed.

George is survived by his wife, Lois, his children Steve, Gary, Tony, and

Mari, sons-in-law, KC and Carlos, daughters-in-law, Judy and Diane, grandson,

Greg, and granddaughters, Taryn, Hailey, and Sophie.