With great sadness, the Tanner family announces the passing of their beloved wife, mother, grandmother (Nana), and sister, Nancy Carolyn Clingan Tanner on July 17, 2010.
Nancy Carolyn was born May 10, 1935 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas to George Washington Clingan and Mary Estelle Hardin Clingan. She lived a good portion of her childhood on a farm and her grandpa, John Hardin, taught her to ride horses. She also talked of how she helped to raise the farm animals and that is where her love of all animals started.
While in high school, she began working at the local hospital and fell in love with taking care of people. She moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and attended Baptist Hospital School of Nursing. She graduated with her nursing diploma in 1956. While there, she spotted her soon-to-be husband, Chuck, in a break room reserved for residents while he was attending medical school at the University of Arkansas. She loved to tell the story of their first date. Her roommate stood him up and she said she would go out with him instead. Chuck took her to see the movie, “We’re No Angels” and they laughed and had a wonderful time. He fell in love with her tenacious spirit and infectious laugh and they were always together after that. They married on June 10, 1956, in Fordyce, Arkansas.
Their first daughter, Karen Rene, was born on September 11, 1957. Nancy Carolyn and Chuck worked hard while Chuck finished medical school. He graduated in 1959 and they moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a one year medical internship. The following year, they moved to Galveston to begin Chuck’s residency training in anesthesia. They were blessed again with the arrival of Kathryn Elaine on December 7, 1960.
In 1963, Nancy Carolyn and Chuck moved to Beaumont, Texas where Chuck became a partner with Anesthesia Associates. Nancy Carolyn worked as a full time mom and house wife and on April 13, 1966, they welcomed twin girls, Donna Karol and Diane Kaye.
Over the next 47 years, Nancy Carolyn was involved in many areas of the Beaumont community. She was a member at and served in the choir of Trinity United Methodist Church. In the medical community, she was a member of the Jefferson County Medical Auxiliary, past delegate to the American Medical Auxiliary and helped many times with volunteering for Shots Across Texas. She was integrally involved in the Beaumont Medical Education Scholarship Fund and a member of the Beaumont Women’s Club as well.
Nancy was actively involved in all of her four daughter’s academic and extracurricular activities including volunteering in Girl Scouts of America, serving on PTA boards and in Band Boosters. Friends of her children always affectionately called her “Mrs. T.”
Longing to fulfill her dream of earning a college degree, Nancy Carolyn enrolled at Lamar University in 1975 and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 1980. She went on to further her studies by earning a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling as well. During this time, she continued to raise her children and actively support Chuck’s medical career.
Nancy was a long-time member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and she played in many leagues and tournaments in and around the Beaumont area. She loved tennis so much that she attended umpire school, helped organize Labor Day tournaments and was a certified umpire with the USTA. Her favorite television station was the Tennis Channel. She was thrilled to have the privilege of going to London, England and seeing the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in person.
Everyone who knew Nancy Carolyn would agree that she was definitely one of a kind. A very strong, tenacious, loving woman, she would always lend a helping hand to those in need, even to strangers and stray animals. A friend or one of her children could call her and she would instantly make herself available.
She is survived by her loving husband, Charles Richard Tanner, M.D. Her daughters, Karen Rene Tanner -Smith and her husband Mark Diefendorf Smith of Parker, Colorado, Kathryn Elaine Tanner, M.D. of Hartsburg, Missouri, Donna Karol Tanner Day and her husband Kenneth Allen Day of Austin, Texas and Diane Kaye Tanner Anderson and her husband Paul William Anderson of Carrollton, Texas. Her grandchildren, Tanner Allen Day, Dylan Luther Day, Jessica Emily Day, Alex Nathanyel Anderson and Amanda Natalee Anderson, and her brother, Nathan Clingan and his wife Ann Clingan.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to A.S.P.C.A., Attn: Linda Tiramani, 520 8th Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, New York, 10018 https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Donation2?df_id=1440&1440.donation=for or to Beaumont Medical Education Fund, Inc., c/o Carol Jones, 3535 Prescott Drive, Beaumont, Texas 77706.
