Obituary of Howard William Anderson

Howard William Anderson was born December 9, 1925 to Swedish parents, Andrew and Esther Anderson. He was the youngest of nine children. Growing up on Waller Road in Tacoma, he learned the love of family, the value of hard work, the joy of laughter and the sorrow of tragedy at a young age. When he was 9 years old, his father died. Several other family members followed in the years to come. These were difficult times during the Depression era. Upon graduating from Lincoln High School, Howard was drafted into the Army at age 18 and served his country in the South Pacific. Returning home, he enrolled at Pacific Lutheran University and earned his teaching degree. He began his career at Edgemont School, teaching fifth grade for six years. He then moved to the Tacoma School District and taught Woodshop and Mechanical Drawing for eighteen years and Math for six years at Gray Jr. High. Howard was reluctant during his early adulthood to pursue family life until the day Nancy pressured him to take her for a ride in his new car. From that moment, their courtship grew until the day they wed on August 4, 1961. Howard and Nancy shared a great love and a life that was characterized by respect, peace, laughter and devotion to family and God. Together they had three children, Denise (Don), Debbie (Ken), and Darren, to whom they dedicated their labor, counsel and love. Howard abandoned selfish considerations in every regard for the sake of his children. When he was blessed with grandchildren, he gleefully sought opportunities to spend time with them. The lives of Josh, Jon, Abbie and Andrew were enriched by his devoted presence, a rare gift in this generation. Howard had a knack for making people laugh with puns, corny jokes, and slapstick expressions. He was well known for his Christmas routines in which he wore red long underwear with a rubber chicken hanging around his neck while crooning musical parodies in an exaggerated Swedish accent. But his love of music was not confined to comedy; much of his free time was spent playing his guitar and singing hymns and gospel songs. He took humble pride in his woodwork creations. From the house he built with his own hands down to the smallest details of the trinkets he made for his wife’s craft fairs, he demonstrated precise craftsmanship. At life’s end, despite the affliction of Parkinson’s disease, he maintained his cheerful disposition and calm acceptance of God’s will. He never stopped praying for us. Someone once said that Howard was a prince of a man. He left a legacy of faith in God and love for family. According to one of his favorite sayings, he lived well, laughed often, and loved much. Viewing will be held on Monday, September 12 from 5-8 pm Curnow Funeral Home 1410 Main St., Sumner, WA 98390 Graveside service will be Tuesday, September 13 at 11:00 am Tahoma National Cemetery 18600 Southeast 240th Street, Kent, WA 98042- 4868 The memorial service will be Saturday, September 24 at 3:00 pm Edgewood Bible Church 1720 Meridian Ave. E., Edgewood, WA 98371. Memorial gifts can be sent to: The Gideons International In Memory of Howard W. Anderson PO Box 7822, Tacoma, WA 98417-7822