Joseph Blaine Tanner
April 16, 1918-June 18, 2015
Palo Alto, California

Dr. Joseph B. Tanner passed away peacefully at his Palo Alto, California, home, early on June 18. Elaine, his wife with whom he shared an extraordinary life partnership for 68 years, was at his side.

Joe is a descendant of Mormon pioneers and was born on April 16, 1918, in Davis County, Utah. His father, A.Z. Tanner, was the first full-time physician in Layton, and with the assistance of Joe's mother, Vera, saw patients in their home clinic. Their example inspired Joe and his three brothers to become physicians. After college at the University of Utah and medical training at Stanford, he joined his father and older brother in general practice in 1943. During wartime, they served patients throughout Davis County and the local military bases. The practice later grew into the Tanner Clinic, a thriving institution to this day.

In 1951, Joe and his growing family moved to Boston where he completed an orthopedic residency at Massachusetts General and Boston Children's hospitals. Following residency in 1954, he resettled in Palo Alto, California, joining the Palo Alto Medical Clinic. His career there was remarkable for its broad scope and included his work as consulting orthopedist for the Children's Convalescent Home and team doctor for Stanford's sports teams. Later in his career he became a pioneer in bringing joint replacement surgery, especially the artificial hip, to the San Francisco Bay Area.

From his start as a country doctor, working out of his father's home clinic, to joint replacement specialist, Joe had been witness to and participant in a remarkable half-century of medical progress. He retired in 1989.

Since 1954, Joe and Elaine have made their home in Palo Alto. Their family grew to include six children. Joe and Elaine balanced career and family life, sharing with their children their curiosity and drive for learning and their love of adventure and the outdoors. Their passion for travel led to extensive international sabbatical trips with their children -- each one an unforgettable experience. Joe was a dedicated gardener (and rose lover) -- a pursuit he enjoyed throughout his life.

Joe was preceded in death by his three physician brothers -- Noall, Dean and Ralph -- and his sister, Arlene Ruggeri (a noted Utah artist). Joe is survived by his wife, Elaine Christensen Tanner; his six children: Lane (Christine), Terry Merchant (Michael), Chris (Jean Illingworth), Bill (Susan Heath), Kitzi (Dan Marchant) and Greg; and 11 grandchildren, as well as one great-grandchild.