John George Anderson, 80, of Addison, VT passed away peacefully on Thursday March 16, 2017 at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, after a recent diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Born September 19, 1936 in Dover, NJ, John was the second child of Swedish immigrants George and Sonja (Johanson) Anderson. He grew up in Verplanck, NY and graduated from Hendrick Hudson High School in 1954. He served in active duty in the US Navy from 1956 to 1960.
He met his wife Roberta (Gadski), in Peekskill, New York while he was working for IBM at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. They were married in Yorktown Heights, NY, August 28, 1965 and enjoyed 45 years of marriage before Roberta passed away in 2010. John worked for IBM for over 25 years, including 18 years at the Essex, VT site. He retired from the company in 1992. He loved animals, even working as a monkey keeper at the Bronx Zoo in his youth. Throughout his life, he spent countless hours (summer or winter) on any body of water and owned numerous boats.
He was predeceased by his wife, parents, and sister, Louise. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Jim and Kati Anderson and his granddaughter Emmaline of Addison; his daughter and son-in-law Kristen and Jon Boyle, and his grandchildren Cooper and Sadie of Airdrie, Alberta, Canada. He also leaves behind his two beloved dogs, Dixie and Hazel.
Per John’s request, there will be no formal services; however, the family will host a gathering of remembrance at a date and time to be determined. In lieu of flowers, contributions in John’s memory can be made to the Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT 05763, rchsvt.org
John’s family wishes to extend their sincere thanks and gratitude to the staff at the McClure Miller Respite House and the University of Vermont Medical Center, for all their heartfelt care, kindness, friendship and support.