William Hutchins Tanner (82) died peacefully at home on May 26, 2013. He died of prostate cancer and also suffered from Alzheimer's disease. He was born on January 1, 1931 and as he would like to say, it was so noisy, he has trouble sleeping.

His parents divorced when he was 4 years old and he was sent to live with his grandmother in Southern Virginia. Growing up during the depression on a dirt poor farm, he recalled that his family survived by the grace of the Taylor pork roll family who sent shipments of food by rail. When his mother relocated to Washington D.C. he and his sister Murial (Betty) lived in a house that his grandfather Truesdell owned and ran as a rooming house.

It was during the war and living near Union Station that Bill honed his sales talent selling Liberty magazines. Summers and frequently for years her traveled back to the Virginia farm and eventually graduated from high school. He married at the age of 19 to Shirley McKay, with whom he has three children. In 1950 he joined the Army serving two years stateside.

While working for Southern railway he earned his BS degree in business from George Washington University and credits the government's GI bill for launching his successful career as a pharmaceutical representative and his 38 years as a stock broker with Merrill Lynch.

For the past 50 years Mr.Tanner has lived in Baden, MD on his farm and a Christmas Tree operation which he started as a family operation during a happy time of year.

Forty years ago he married Lucretia Dewey together they traveled the world and enjoyed theatre and the opera.

He is survived by his wife Lucertia, two sons William Thomas Tanner a physician in Fort Washington, MD, Robert Tanner an accountant for the Smithsonian, daughter Cynthia Rawlings and grand children Christopher Tanner, Sarah Tanner, Elizabeth Tanner, Jacob Rawlings and Joshua Rawlings.

A viewing will be held at Huntt Funeral Home, 3035 Old Washington Rd., Waldorf, MD from 2 to 4pm and 6 to 8pm on Thursday May 30, 2013. Another viewing will be held at Farrar Funeral Home, 1260 North Mecklenburg Ave., South Hill, VA on Saturday June 1, 2013 from 10 to 11am with the funeral service beginning at 11am. Burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers the family request that donations be made to the Tanner Endowed Fund Scholarship established by William and Lucretia Tanner for the Veterans returning to study at George Washington University.

Arrangements provided by Huntt Funeral Home and Farrar Funeral Home.