William (Bill) Mark Tanner, age 76, of East Dublin, passed away on Wednesday, September 13, 2017.

Mr. Tanner was born in Wrightsville, GA to the late Mark and Jane Rowland Tanner. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy Seabees and was deployed to Vietnam for nine months. Some of his military decorations and awards were; Navy Expeditionary Medal, Two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation, and a Fleet Marine Forces Combat Operations Insignia.

Bill left the Navy and entered into law enforcement for many years. After his first Navy enlistment was finished, he went to work for Sheriff Rock Bussell and the Laurens County Sheriff's Office, where he was one the first deputy's to be trained to administer D.U.I. testing in Laurens County on the county's new Intoximeter machine. He served with the State Board of Corrections for some time and received his basic training at the Georgia Police Academy. He also worked as a security officer at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Tanner was preceded in death by his wife, Dana Marable Tanner.

Survivors include his children; Wally Tanner (Paula) and James "Larry" Tanner (Lisa), both of East Dublin, Mark Tanner (Angie), of Dublin, Karen Vassey, of Missouri, Lisa Marable, of Grantville, GA, Ryan Tanner, of Atlanta, and Freddy Tanner, of East Dublin; sisters, Wanda Joe Holcomb, of Cleveland, GA and Tiny Tanner, of Wrightsville; grandchildren, Brandon Tanner (Jessica), James Tanner, Dustin Messer, Matthew Messer, Brandi Messer, Ashley Messer, and Jeremy Messer.

Services will be held at 1:00PM on Monday, September 18, 2017 in the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Milledgeville.

The family will receive friends on Sunday evening from 6:00PM until 8:00PM at Townsend Brothers Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers the family asks donations be made to the Buckeye Christian Church Building Fund.