David August Tannen

“Your children are not your children. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.” – after K. Gibran.

We mourn the premature death of David Tannen. In childhood he was delightful, uncomplicated, and reveled in sights, sounds, colors and shapes. He excelled in friendship, which he took seriously, sometimes exceedingly so. His school years began in Moline, Illinois, then continued to graduation in 1996 from The Greenhill School in Dallas. He was most attracted to the arts, all of them. Classic and improvisational theater, painting, sculpture, and euphonium were his domains in High School, to which he later added a culinary talent. He worked for several years in food service, transitioning to IT support in health care.

David was known for his humor, intelligence, and his remarkable ability to recall all things related to music. He was an audiophile, with knowledge extending from classical, 70’s punk, 90’s hip hop and 2000’s rock. He was extremely funny, able to bring at least a smile if not a laugh to your face. But above all, David was a devoted and loving father to his children, now 13 and 8. They were the center of his world, and he took immense pride and joy in watching them grow. His love for them was constant, deep, and unwavering. David loved taking his daughter to concerts and watching her grow in his footsteps. He enjoyed playing video games with his son and shared with both his enthusiasm for international foods. He is survived by his children, Natalya Tannen and Alexander Tannen, by his parents, Dr. Richard and Bette Tannen, sister Ann-Moree and her husband Charles Warren, cousin Emily Abramsky, cousin Jenny and her husband Michael Bazan.

A Memorial Service will take place at 1:00 pm, Thursday, May 7, at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home. A reception immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, please donate in David’s memory to The Greenhill Fund (supporting the Arts): https://www.greenhill.org/make-an-online-gift