"Andy" Anderson

Dariel "Andy" Lovett Anderson, 91, died on Feb. 28, 2020 at his home in Dayton, WA with his family nearby.

Andy was born May 23, 1928 in Dayton, WA to Gladys (McHargue) and Clarence Lovett Anderson.  He attended schools in Dayton WA, graduating from Dayton High School with the class of 1946. Playing on the high school basketball team was one of his favorite high school memories.

He greatly admired his father and had a happy childhood with his parents.

He worked for the Columbia County Road Department after graduation, then worked for Vernon Smith farms in the early 50s.

In 1954 he started working for Columbia REA as a "grunt" (ground crew) - eventually advancing to the position of Line Foreman.  After 41 years of power line work he retired in June 1995.  

 He married Carol C. Kurth in 1950.  They had two sons, Brad (1953) and Kent (1956).  They later divorced.

  Andy married Carol J. Massey on Feb. 21, 1970 in Burbank, CA.  They just celebrated 50 years of marriage. Together they had a son Robert "Rob" Anderson in 1972.

 He was an accomplished "Do It Yourselfer" and took on several home remodeling projects, including building his own home in 1970.  He occupied that home right up to the end of his life.

 Family life was important to Andy.  He was devoted to his sons and their interests.  He encouraged all three sons to pursue higher education.  For years one of the highlights was the family vacations to Twin Lakes WA.  It was two weeks of waterskiing, exploring and evenings around the campfire.

 In his late teens and early 20's he was the proud owner of a Luscombe 8E airplane. He spent many hours flying over the Northwest.  He had lots of stories of his adventures.

 Outdoor recreation was important to Andy including skiing (snow and water), boating, steelhead fishing and snowmobiling.  The mechanical skill he got from his father came into play with snowmobiling:  it was ride for 4 or 5 hours and then work on the snowmobiles for the next 3 days.

  He also built his own boat and taught himself and many others to waterski.  He was an active snowmobiler until Bluewood opened as a ski area, then he became an avid snow skier. A favorite pastime was watching High School sports.  His friends often teased him about his excellent skills as a snow and water skier when he was a senior citizen.

 The family was host parents to several exchange students from Japan and Germany. 

 Upon retiring Andy & Carol liked to travel in their 5th wheel.  They especially enjoyed visits to Long Beach, WA, Yellowstone and Canada, among other trips.  They both rode their bikes exploring the local sights when camping.

 Andy was an honest man, a good husband and father, who was well liked by his friends.

 A major life sorrow was the death of his son Rob. He is preceded in death by his son, Robert "Rob" Ted Anderson in 2013, his father in 1990 and mother in 1994.

 He is survived by his wife, Carol at home, and his two sons Brad Anderson (Kay) of Walla Walla, WA and Kent Anderson M.D. (Judy) of Lewiston, ID.  Two grandchildren Sarah Hlebichuk (Adrian) and Tim Anderson.  He has 3 great grandchildren – Hannah, Luke and Charlotte Hlebichuk

 Funeral services will be Saturday, March 14, 2 p.m. at Dayton United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be to Walla Walla Community Hospice, 1067 Isaacs Ave. Walla Walla, WA 99362 or Skyline Adventures – (which provides scholarships for those who otherwise wouldn't be able to experience skiing & snow boarding).  P.O. Box 167 Dayton, WA 99328.  Or donors may select a charity of their choice.