Dr. John Anderson died Saturday February 19th at his home on Hayden Island. He was 71.
John A. Anderson was born to Lessie Anderson and Reverend Theodore Anderson on December 8, 1939 in Cross, South Carolina. He was the youngest of eight children.
John graduated from South Carolina State in 1961. He received a Masters Degree in Chemistry from Howard University in 1963 and graduated from Meharry Medical School in Nashville, Tennessee in 1967 receiving a Doctor of Medicine degree. John did his internship in Minnesota. He then served in the Army as the Head of the Army Hospital at Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, during the Vietnamese War. He moved to Portland, Oregon in 1971 where he began his Residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Internal Medicine. Later, Dr. Anderson joined Kaiser Permanente as a physician where he worked until retirement at East Interstate Clinic.
Dr. Anderson was a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and a loyal Blazer fan.
He met and married his wife, Sally, on November 9, 1974. They have enjoyed 36 years together. John and Sally raised four children: Eric Nelson (Karen), Leslie Kracke (David), Brenda Wolfe (Paul) and Justin Anderson (Melissa). He was the loving grandfather to Sam and Luke Nelson, Paige and Kendall Kracke and Kaylee Anderson. He most enjoyed being with family and friends. Besides his wife, children and grandchildren his brothers and sisters, many nieces and nephews, as well as other relatives and friends will sorely miss him.
Contributions may be made in his memory to the American Kidney Foundation or Mercy Corp.
A memorial service will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 01, 2011, at Augustana Lutheran Church.