Ronald Anderson

He is survived by his wife, Emily A. Anderson (née Attleson); his five adult children; 13 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

Ron was born in Storm Lake, Iowa, and grew up in Wadena, Minnesota. He often said he had a nearly perfect childhood—playing high school football, performing trombone in the band, fishing and swimming in local lakes, and skiing the snowy backroads behind a car while dodging mailboxes. He learned to fly while still in high school and earned his Private Pilot License during those years. Ron graduated in 1951, at the height of the Korean War, and three weeks later joined the U.S. Navy. He served with an Air Transport Squadron (VR-24) in French Morocco, Africa, and later in Naples, Italy.

After completing his service, he returned to Wadena, where he met his future wife, Emily Attleson. They married on August 28, 1954, and later moved to Minneapolis while Emily worked on the University of Minnesota campus. Their son Jay was born there, beginning years of travel and new assignments. A second son, Scott, was born while they lived in Corvallis, Oregon. Three daughters—Susan, Linda, and Laurie—were born in Olympia, Washington.

In 1958, Ron began working for the Department of the Army as a civilian employee at the Mount Rainier Ordnance Depot in Tacoma, Washington. His career led to transfers to Tooele, Utah (2 years); U.S. Army Japan in Yokohama (5 years); the Pentagon (3 years); and finally, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he served for 20 years until retiring in 1990.

Following retirement, Ron explored real estate for six years and quickly learned it was as much work as any other job—perhaps more. He later volunteered to drive a school bus and was surprised to discover he would be paid for something he planned to do simply to help out. What he thought would be a short commitment turned into six years of regular driving. He often joked about receiving a $127 monthly retirement check from the State of Virginia and smiled every time it arrived.

Flying remained a lifelong joy. Ron and Emily owned a 1961 Cessna 150 for nearly 20 years and spent countless hours flying around Virginia. He also flew with the Virginia Civil Air Patrol.

Another enduring passion was music. Ron played trombone in high school and the Navy but put the instrument away after 1958 when he last performed with the American Legion Band in Olympia, Washington. Fifty years later, in 2008, he took up the trombone again. Over the following years he played with various groups in Phoenix, Arizona, and Northern Virginia. He gave up the trombone in 2019 due to difficulties driving at night, deciding the late hours after concerts were no longer worth the risk. Even then, Ron refused to give up music entirely. At age 86, he bought a cello and began learning to play.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held on December 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Mullins Thompson Funeral Home, 186 Shelton Shop Rd., Stafford, VA 22554.