Obituary of Robert L. Tannen

A Mass for Robert L. Tannen, 61, of South Orange will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect St., South Orange. Arrangements are by the Preston Funeral Home, South Orange. Mr. Tannen, who died Sunday at home, was a nationwide account executive for MachineTools.com, a Michigan-based equipment supply distributor, since 2004. Earlier, he published the Used Equipment Directory in Jersey City. He also worked for trade associations in the Washington, D.C., area, representing national machinery dealers, national dry cleaners and natural gas trade associations. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute in 1967, Mr. Tannen served as a tank platoon commander in the Armys 4th Armored Division on the German-Czech border during the armed standoff during the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. He was a Pop Warner football coach and involved with the South Orange Recreation Departments Little League in coaching. Mr. Tannen and his wife, Mary Jane, were Pre-Cana counselors at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. Born in Panama City, Fla., he lived in Georgia, Florida, Virginia, New Mexico, Indiana and Naples, Italy, as a child of the late Lt. Col. Martin R. Tannen. He later lived in Arlington, Va., Fairfax, Va., and Silver Spring, Md., before moving to South Orange in 1982. Also surviving are sons, Martin J. and Benjamin; a daughter, Amanda J.; a brother, Terrell, and three grandchildren.