Biography of Bill Tanner

Bill Tanner passed away on Nov. 13, 2008. He was born in Kansas City, Mo., on July 19, 1932, and moved to the Los Angeles area when he was a small child. At 14 years old, he and his family moved to Hilo, Hawaii, where he graduated from high school.

He joined the naval reserve and was called to active duty at the age of 18. After discharge from the Navy in 1953, Bill worked in the aeronautical industry but later returned to his first love, radio broadcasting, in the late 1950s.

During the '50s and '60s Bill was a disc jockey in the Los Angeles area at stations KDAY, KFXM, KMEN, where he worked with friends and acquaintances who included Allan Freed, George Carlin, Casey Kasem, Wolfman Jack, Gary Price, Roy Cordell and many others.

In 1965, Bill and his family moved to Ventura, Calif. Bill landed a job at radio station KACY, where he was the morning DJ and later became program director of the dominant top 40 format station that used the slogan "Boss Of The Beach."

The late '70s found Bill in the Monterey Peninsula radio arena, where he then retired from the broadcasting business but managed to find a new career golfing for free as a marshal at Pebble Beach.

Bill leaves behind his wife of 32 years, Norma Jean, and beloved sons Timothy (wife) Rebecca) of Ventura, Christopher of Monterey, Calif., James (wife Christy) of Chico, Calif., Daniel (wife Annette) of Chico, Calif., and Jason (wife Jenny) of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., and grandchildren Brooke, Jordan, Bailey, Taylor, Zachary, Nathaniel, Fletcher, Justin, and Hannah.

Bill's last wishes were that his family continue the family reunions at Clearlake, Calif., and that sons Tim and Jason be part of a foursome at Pebble Beach and say a prayer at his favorite hole.