Obituary of Samuel James Tanury

James Tanury of Birmingham, MI owner of the engineering company James Tanury & Associates, passed away March 8, 2020 at age 96. James Tanury (Samuel James Tanury) was born in Utica, New York on February 4, 1924. He was the second son of James and Alma Tanury, Lebanese immigrants. He grew up in Utica, NY and graduated from Whitesboro High School in 1942, joined the army, and served 3 years in WW2. Afterwards, he moved to San Francisco where he enrolled at the University of California Berkley using the G.I. Bill. In 1948 he married Irene Ciocca, also from Utica, NY. They were married for 59 years until she passed away in 2007. They had 3 children, Bryan, Sharon and Steve. After graduating from UC Berkley in 1949 with a Mechanical Engineering degree, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. He worked for Kaiser Motors at the Willow Run plant and, afterwards, their engine plant in Detroit. In 1952, he moved to Birmingham, MI and in 1963, at the age of 39, he formed his own engineering and design company, James Tanury and Associates. The company provided design services to the Big Three as well as local tool builders. With hard work, dedication and sacrifice, James Tanury & Associates grew to employ more than 180 process engineers and tool designers. James Tanury was a true entrepreneur. He had a strong and independent personality that was reflected in his business and in his personal life. He will be remembered by the many people who worked with him; by his extended family members; and by his friends who were touched by his kindness, his help and his guidance. He will be missed by his immediate family - his three children Bryan, Sharon and Steve; their spouses Ester, Eldon and Janet; his five grandchildren David, Jason, Katy, Jon and Lisa; and his 2 great grandchildren Finn and Kedzie. Please share a memory of James by signing his guestbook.