In Memoriam
Gloria Tanner, Trailblazing Senator
Former state Sen. Gloria Tanner died April 4 at age 86. The former Park Hill lawmaker was the first African American woman elected to the Colorado Senate and was a mentor to a generation of Black lawmakers in Colorado.
As recounted by the news site Colorado Politics, Tanner counted among her legislative successes measures to establish parental rights for adoptive parents, health benefit programs to cover screening for prostate cancer, and the creation of Colorado’s Safe Haven law, which allows mothers to drop off newborns at fire stations with no questions asked.
Tanner’s death stirred an outpouring of love and praise, including from Park Hill Rep. Leslie Herod, chair of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado.
“Senator Tanner was a trailblazer whose determination and commitment to Colorado improved the lives of all people in our state.” Herod said in a statement. “Gloria was a mentor to us all. As the founder of Colorado Black Women for Political Action and the co-creator of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislators, she fostered an entire generation of leaders who will continue her legacy and make their mark on our state and nation – just as she would have wished. We celebrate her life and legacy as she ascends to join our ancestors.”
Tanner was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002. She is survived by two daughters, Tanvis Renee and Tracey Lynne, and a son, Terrance Ralph. Her husband, Theodore Tanner, preceded her in death.
Tom Robinson, Teacher And Coach
Thomas Edward Robinson, husband, father, grandfather, teacher, coach, athletics commissioner, sports official, and stalwart supporter of education and the arts, died on April 4 at the age of 76. Robinson was born and raised in Denver. He attended Sacred Heart and graduated from Regis Jesuit High School. While at Regis he was named to the football All-State team, and was Prom King in 1964 (with his Prom Queen, Cleo Parker, who later became his wife).
A 1969 graduate of Colorado State University, Robinson was an All American running back and corner back, earning the nickname “The Bomb.” He also ran track and played basketball, while earning his degree in mathematics. He became a recruiter for the CSU football team, and later a board member. He earned his master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Denver in 1982. After his graduation from CSU, he married Cleo, with whom he co-founded Denver’s iconic Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in 1970) and began a 31-year teaching and coaching career with Regis Jesuit High School.
In addition to Cleo, he is survived by his son, Malik Robinson, daughter-in-law Olga Vianey Gonzalez, and grandchildren, Ximalma, Xareni, and Nezahualcoyotl. Services were held in mid-April.
Dennis Gallagher, One Of A Kind
Dennis Gallagher, the former city councilman, state representative, state senator and Denver auditor, died on April 23 at his home. He was 82.
A brilliant orator and always outspoken, through the years Gallagher has been variously described as a Renaissance man, bon vivant and neighborhood advocate. He loved jazz music and was deeply proud of his Irish heritage. He was one of the great characters of Denver.
Gallagher was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1970, representing northwest Denver. He served two terms and moved to the state Senate, where he served for 20 years. He sponsored the 1982 “Gallagher Amendment,” which set guidelines and limits on property taxes (and which was repealed by voters two years ago).
Gallagher was elected to the City Council in 1995, and served two terms. He was elected Denver auditor in 2003, an office he held until 2014.
Gallagher found his greater goal in the Athenian Oath, which says “leave the city better than when you found it,” said his son, Danny Gallagher, when announcing his father’s passing. Services were held at the end of April.