January 19, 1930-April 27, 2019
Richard Anderson, 89, of Fort Collins, passed away April 27, 2019.
Richard was born January 19, 1930 in rural Kearney, NE to Frans and Ruth (Gitchel) Anderson.
Richard graduated from Kearney High School in 1948. He first attended Augustana College in Rock Island, IL and graduated from Nebraska State Teachers College at Kearney.
On June 3, 1952, he married Eleanor Johnson at the Maria Lutheran Church in Hershey, NE.
Richard served in the U.S. Army in southern Germany. Upon his return, he and Eleanor took teaching jobs in Keenesburg, CO. He continued his education with summer courses at Colorado State Teachers College.
In 1957, Richard and Eleanor moved to Fort Collins, where Richard taught English and German at Fort Collins High School. He started the FCHS Faculty Pinochle Club, which continued for many happy years. In the 1960s he taught English at CSU.
In 1965 he was summer camp director for Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp, and also served on the Sky Ranch board. Richard also served on the Trinity Lutheran Church council and Lutheran Campus Ministries Board of Directors. Richard and Eleanor were generous supporters of Project Self-Sufficiency.
Richard bought and ran Gifts Unusual in the early '70s, and later became a real estate agent, working out of Spelts Century 21. He and Eleanor bought and cared for many residential rentals in Fort Collins and Loveland, and later invested in commercial real estate.
Richard loved talking with people and telling stories. He enjoyed travelling and seeing new things, camping, fishing, tractoring, and irrigation.
He has been a loving and generous husband, father, grandpa, uncle, cousin, church member, business associate, landlord and friend to many.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 58 years; and his sister, Edith (Robert) Rights of Upper Montclair, NJ.
Survivors include his brother John (Becky) Anderson of St. Paul, MN; his children, Janet Anderson (Colleen Mlecoch) of St Paul, MN; Gail Werth of Fort Collins; Greg Anderson (Carmen Hearns) of Fort Collins; 5 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity or to the Alzheimer's Association.
Online condolences may be shared at
www.BohlenderFuneralChapel.com
.
Services will be Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, Pastor Rich Reiten officiating. Interment will be at the Trinity Memorial Plaza.