Adele M. Tanner of Amherst MA died of cardio-pulmonary failure on May 5 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital with family and friends at her side. She was born April 30, 1956 to William Gordon Tanner Sr. and Rita (Gallant) Tanner in Everett MA. She grew up loving her family and friends, her neighborhood, summers in Salem NH and bicycling all over Everett and Boston. After graduating from Everett High School she attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and graduated in 1978 with a B.S. in Exercise Science.
In 1979 she sustained a spinal cord injury that left her quadriplegic. Never looking back, she created a new life of independence and achievement that was always grounded in love. She was a staunch advocate of research into cures for spinal cord injuries, speaking on behalf of the Spinal Cord Society throughout Massachusetts.
Searching for a career that would balance her skills and intelligence with her passion for dignity and justice, she graduated from the Elms College Paralegal Institute Program in 1984. She first worked as a paralegal for the Center for Public Representation in Northampton. Seeking a more direct way of helping persons change their lives, she became an advocate at Stavros Center for Independent Living in Amherst; she later became Director of Independent Living Services. Meeting every problem head-on and never taking no for an answer, she was a role model for her staff and for the dozens and dozens of individuals who came to lead lives of dignity and freedom with her assistance.
After retiring from Stavros, she devoted much of her energy to improving animal welfare, placing cats and kittens in area homes, managing a dizzying menagerie of cats and dogs at home, and spending hours at her computer and on the phone reuniting refugees from Hurricane Katrina with their lost pets.
Adele would have wanted to thank the many caregivers who assisted her each day and night for the last 35 plus years. Never just employees, most became dear friends who were part of her life long after they stopped working for her.
Adele faced each day with an incredible zest for life, a sense of compassion, and a beautiful smile. She loved her family, her friends, cats, the ocean, travel, music, and adventure, and honesty, loyalty, and kindness. She was predeceased by her father. She is survived by her mother Rita (Homosassa, FL), her brother Gordon (Queens, NY), quite a few cousins, more friends than you can shake a stick at, her beloved tabby Kenyon and her three-legged dog Bonnie, and her adoring best friend Jim Kruidenier (Amherst).
A memorial service will be held when people can hug one another. Memorial donations may be made to the Amherst Survival Center or Animal Rescue of New Orleans. Peace.