Tanner James Parrick

How do you put into words what kind of man Tanner was, he was indescribable. He was
complicated, eccentric, goofy, strong, and mostly full of love. He had the biggest heart. Tanner
loved with his whole being and he always made sure you knew he loved you, even if it made
you uncomfortable. It was his mission to make people smile and laugh and he didn’t care how
he accomplished that, most of the time it was at his own expense. Tanner always had a joke
and countless stories to tell that would have everyone rolling in laughter. If you spent any
amount of time with him, your cheeks were sure to be hurting. He was the life of the party even
though he was the most uncomfortable person in the room.

He had a tremendous passion for animals and the cold-blooded ones in particular. From a child,
bringing home animals he found in the woods to running his own reptile breeding business as
an adult. The care and forethought he put into making sure that his animals thrived and
received the best possible life in captivity knew no bounds. His vivariums surpassed those you
would see in a zoo. He was an artist.

I’m not ashamed to say that Tanner took his own life. There is nothing shameful about having
mental illness. He was the bravest and strongest person I have ever met. I have never met
someone who fought so hard to stay alive. I will forever be proud of the man he was and the
man he tried so hard to be.