Chris Tanz Bierny's Obituary
Chris Tanz passed away on 11 October in her home of over 40 years, surrounded by a loving community 50 years in the making.
Chris was born on 27 September 1944 in a Polish field hospital just outside of Nazi control, under the alias Krystyna Szienczicka. By the time she was 7 years old, she had fled to France then finally to the United States seeking a safe place to call home with her family: her father Henry, mother Renee, and little brother Mark. In 1956, they proudly became citizens of this country that welcomed them and gave them their first true taste of security.
Like her parents, Chris was smart and worked hard. She graduated with honors from Harvard University and obtained her PhD at the University of Chicago.
Fifty years ago, she took her talents out west to become one of the only female Assistant Professors in the University of Arizona’s Department of Psychology.
While there, she became a published author. Twice. First, her doctoral thesis, “Studies in the Acquisition of Deictic Terms”, was one of the few selected for publishing by Cambridge University Press that year, only to be published again 30 years later because of its continued relevance in the field. Chris also published a children’s book, “An Egg is to Sit On”! The book showcases her unique vision for patterns in language and the world around her. Her grandchildren still read it every night before bed.
It was also while at the U of A that Chris met and married Jean-Paul Bierny, the love of her life and her partner in delicious dinners, dancing to every song within earshot, and wholesome befriending of everyone in their path. They welcomed their son, Philippe, in 1983 and Chris focused her energy on keeping him from falling out of trees and generally being an absolutely spectacular mother and wife.
In 1994, at 49 Chris embarked on a new challenge with her customary joy and dedication: public art. Over the next 15 years, she designed some of the most iconic and memorable projects in town, from the grand (the Sun Circle and the Gateway to the Catalinas) to the understated (A Gneiss Bench to Sit On). In each case, she sought to share her deep love for this desert city with all who share it with her, in ways that encouraged them to come together and stop to appreciate the beauty around them.
For love of Tucson, Chris was also an engaged community activist into her late 70s. She was a fixture of her neighborhood, with a greeting and a hug for everyone on the daily bike rides that she shared with Jean-Paul until he passed away two years ago, and then continued on her own until she was 80 years old.
In her later years, she also returned to her origins. She became deeply involved with local Holocaust survivors. She published the story of her parents’ fight for survival in an essay in the book Born Into a World at War. Since COVID, she enjoyed monthly Zoom meetups with groups of high school and college friends who are now spread across the country and the world.
When the time came to hang up the handle bars for the last time, she spent her last days in the home she loved, with a steady stream of those who loved her visiting each day. We will always remember her unmatched kindness, generosity, curiosity and joy.
Chris will live on forever in the hearts, minds and aspirations of her dear friends, her brother Mark and nephews Dan and Josh, and her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
Her memorial will take place early next year, details still TBD.
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