[su_heading size=”24″ margin=”10″]John Anderson[/su_heading]

This page created October 27, 2015. Updated with photo June 3, 2016.

John Anderson

John Anderson was appointed a Life Member of the club at the Semi-Annual General Meeting of April 12, 2000.

Below is an extract from the Club Newsletter of December 2004.

“John Anderson passed away on October 5th this year. With his passing Oak Bay Lawn Bowling Club lost a friend and club-mate extraordinaire. What follows is his obituary as published by his family:-

‘John H. Anderson passed away October 5, 2004 on Vashon Island, Washington at the age of 86. He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 4, 1918, the son of Dorothy and Arthur Anderson. John married Annette Elizabeth Huser in 1944 and together they enjoyed 41 years of marriage until her passing in 1986.

‘John was a World War II veteran of the armed forces and served in the Burma theater. He worked at Warner Lambert Pharmaceutical as a product director from 1954 to 1974. Upon his retirement he and Anne moved to Mount Dora, Florida and there he became commodore of the Mount Dora Yacht Club.

‘In 1987 John moved to Victoria to pursue his love of lawn bowling, and there joined Oak Bay Lawn Bowling Club. He immersed himself in the game, in the club and in his volunteer capacities in the game’s organization.

‘John is survived by his three daughters, Lynne Barthelemy, Jan Pulliam and Dorothy Wasserman; his two sisters, Betty Groggin and Ruth Anderson; and his five grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.

‘Services took place on October 9th at the Church of the Holy Spirit on Vashon Island.’

We who were members during John’s active time with us – essentially 1987 to 2000 – remember him as a fierce competitor, a staunch supporter of the club, a generous benefactor, a bowler to whom the sport was more important than individual egos, a sharp wit, a good sport always and a perfect gentleman.

He served the club in many capacities, including that of president from 1990 to 1992, and the sport as a director of the South Islands Bowling Association, a director of both Bowls British Columbia and Bowls Canada Boulingrin, and chair of the 1998 Canadian National Championships’ organizing committee. In that latter capacity he was masterful despite the fact that his health was then not the greatest. He spent many hours planning and preparing for these championships and was meticulous in ensuring that all members working with him knew their duties and that these duties were being correctly carried out – always with tact, humour and kindness. At the end of the championships John had special towels printed with the games logo as a ‘thank you’ to all the committee members; a generous and still treasured gesture.

John’s generosity and affection for our club was recognized by the award of a life membership and the naming of the club house as “Anderson House” at the conclusion of renovations to it made possible by him. His legacy will live in the club through these tokens; his memory will remain strong in those who knew him.

God speed John. It was great to know you.”

Barry G. Browning