Juergen Tank was born and raised in Germany. He joined the German Navy when he was 22 years old, flying an F104 Starfighter for NATO. Juergen retired in 1986 as “Commander,” and came to the United States with his wife, Rowena, and his son, Erik. Juergen attended Devry University
and then opened his own business in computer software.
When Erik graduated, Rowena and Juergen moved to Prescott where he got a job with Embry
Riddle Aeronautical University as an instructor pilot and then moved on to the
position of Director of Flight Safety and Security. During that time, Juergen got his Masters of
Safety Science. After ten years at EmbryRiddle he retired in December 2009.
Juergen always enjoyed wilderness exploration and he liked to be kept busy, so it
wasn’t long until he found another career. He joined the Volunteer Yavapai County Jeep Posse doing search and rescue. He continued that position until he became ill.
Juergen and Rowena were very supportive of PAWS. They frequently purchased Christmas gifts for children that were there over the holidays. They would find out what the childrens’ sizes were and things that they might like to have and then they would purchase the items and wrap them and put them under the tree at the shelter, personalized with their names.
Juergen loved to work with wood and was very artistic when it came to building garden
structures. He was known for his “personalized” birdhouses and they are in trees all around Prescott
because he donated them to the PAWS Fundraisers to be raffled off. Juergen made authentic German rocking horses or his nephews and nieces when they were toddlers.
Juergen assed away on November 25, 2012. Rowena and Erik donated one of Juergen’s rocking horses for the Prescottarea Womens’ Shelter Tea Raffle. Wewant to thank the Tank Family for thiswonderful donation to the PAWSCommunity.