Paul S. Tanis

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Paul S. Tanis, age 74, of North Haledon, NJ.  Paul passed away peacefully on Friday, March 7, 2025 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Paul was born in Paterson, raised in Hawthorne, and was one of four sons born to Roy and Virginia Tanis.  As a boy growing up with three brothers, Paul became a talented athlete.  He played baseball as a young boy and later while a student at Hawthorne High School, he played football and basketball for the school’s teams.  Following his graduation from high school with the class of 1967, Paul enrolled at William Paterson University where he earned his bachelor’s degree.  He later went back for his two master’s degrees in both Administration and Mathematics.

Paul found employment quickly and accepted a position as a math teacher with the Mahwah Board of Education.  He first taught in Park Ridge High School and later the township’s middle school.  It was in middle school where Paul found his career as a teacher most rewarding.  Paul also coached Junior Varsity basketball for a number of years and was the administrator for the school’s summer school program.  Paul was truly dedicated to his profession and was sincerely loved and respected by his colleagues, peers, and his students.  During his summers between school years, Paul would often take on handy man jobs, painting, and building projects.

Paul’s career as a teacher with the Mahwah Board of Education spanned over three decades until his retirement in 2010.

While at his brother’s wedding in 1974, Paul met a young attractive woman by the name of Kathy Bertsch.  The two hit it off wonderfully and started dating.  After about a year, as fate would have it, they fell in love and became husband and wife on June 21, 1975 at St Nicholas RC Church in Palisades Park, NJ.  The newlyweds lived in an apartment for about a year then bought a house in North Haledon where they have been ever since.  While living there, they raised both of their beloved daughters, Jessica, and Lauren.

Paul never lost his love of sports and enjoyed playing in a men’s basketball league well into his forties.  He had a true love of the great outdoors.  He and his family cherished their yearly summer vacations to Cape Cod, where he would lavish freshwater fishing, canoeing, walking and hiking.  He was also a talented cook and was famous by family and friends for his Italian food dishes and recipes.  Paul could frequently be found in his back or front yard landscaping, gardening, and meticulously manicuring his property.  

Aside from all Paul’s talents, hobbies, and interests, his greatest passion in life was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Paul than spending time with his family and friends.  In 2021, the family’s world was shattered when his beloved daughter Lauren passed away.

Paul had a wonderful and infectious sense of humor and a knack for keeping everyone around him on their toes. He loved to tease his friends and family, always ready with a witty remark or a mischievous grin. Practical jokes were his specialty, he found endless joy in harmless pranks. But beneath all the laughter, Paul had a heart of gold; his jokes were never mean-spirited, just his way of bringing a little extra fun into people’s lives. No matter the situation, he had a way of turning even the dullest moments into something unforgettable.

Paul will be forever remembered as a truly devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a man who dedicated his life to teaching others.

Paul is survived by his wife Kathy (nee Bertsch) of North Haledon, NJ, one daughter Jessica Tanis of Montclair, NJ, two brothers, Roy Tanis and his wife Peg of Melbourne Beach, FL, and Tod Tanis and his wife Lisa of Melbourne Beach, FL, one granddaughter Quinn Raineri of Wayne, NJ, and one son-in-law Kevin Raineri of Wayne, NJ.  Paul was predeceased by his daughter Lauren Raineri in 2021 and his brother David Tanis.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Paul’s name may be made to Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC Church or the Alzheimer’s Association