Wayne Robert Anderson

San Marcos, CA – Wayne Robert Anderson, 73, died peacefully in his home on Wednesday, 27 July 2016 following a rapid resurgence of his 17-year battle against cancer. He leaves his wife of 52 years, Nina (Anzzolin) Anderson, his daughter Lara (Anderson) Tarrillo and her husband Albert Tarrillo, his daughter Stephanie Anderson, and his grandchildren, Alina, Chase, and Deegan Tarrillo. He is also survived by his siblings Donald Anderson (Roselynn McCloy), Phillip Anderson (Pat Walter), Judith Anderson, and Jeffrey Anderson, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins in the United States, Sweden, and Lithuania. Wayne Robert Anderson was born on 15 Oct 1942 in Chicago, IL, to Rudolph and Emma (Amelia Stonchus) Anderson. He spent his childhood in Calumet City, IL, then attended the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, IA. It was there that he was lured by the dulcet tones of a classical pianist practicing in the student dining hall. After spending the entire afternoon with Nina, he declared to his friends that he had met the woman he was destined to marry. Upon his graduation from the University of Dubuque with Bachelor’s Degrees, Summa Cum Laude, in History and Spanish, he married the love of his life on 20 June 1964. Wayne entered the United States Air Force shortly thereafter, where he served as an intelligence officer for 21 years. He served in Denver, Wichita, Vietnam, Thailand, Hawaii, Washington DC, England, and Tampa. He also received his Master’s Degree in International Studies from American University in Washington DC in 1975. Wayne retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1985. He joined the private sector when he was employed by SAIC as Business Development and Proposal Manager, spending 20 years with the company and retiring in 2005. In retirement, he had time to pursue his long-held passion of tracing his family roots, and he spent the remainder of his life engaged in genealogy research. Wayne discovered over 100 relatives in Sweden and several more in Lithuania, many of whom remain in contact with our family, and some of whom have become very close friends. His efforts have resulted in two bound editions of “The Anderson-Erickson Family History,” published in 1999 and 2008. More recently, he completed and published his autobiography, entitled, “The Road Taken: A Life’s Turns, Bumps and Choices.” Wayne also spent his retirement years winging his way around the world as he and Nina became world travelers, flying to Europe and Scandinavia, meeting members of their extended families discovered through their genealogy research. For pleasure, they also enjoyed cruises throughout China, Tibet, New Zealand, western and eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Vietnam, Cambodia, and as recently as this past March, Egypt. Wayne was a master raconteur and was guilty of frequent paronomasia. He generously shared his time, his heart, his knowledge, and his love of gourmet food and fine wine. We have lost a good man. A memorial tribute was held at his home in San Marcos, California, on August 6th. Donations to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.pcf.org/WayneRobertAnderson) in Wayne’s memory are most sincerely appreciated. Remembering Me To the living, I am gone To the sorrowful, I will never return To the angry, I was cheated But to the happy, I am at peace And to the faithful, I have never left I cannot speak, but I can listen I cannot be seen, but I can be heard So as you stand upon the shore Gazing at the beautiful sea, remember me As you look in awe at a mighty forest And in its grand majesty, remember me Remember me in your hearts, In your thoughts, and the memories of the Times we loved, the times we cried, the battles we fought and the times we laughed For if you always think of me, I will never have gone. Anonymous