Vincent Paul Anderson Jr.

Vincent Paul "Andy" Anderson, lovingly called "the Colonel", died in the early morning hours of April l8th, 2016 in Stockton, CA at the age of 91. He leaves behind his loving wife of 63 years, Jan (whom he loved to call Tinkerbell). Andy cherished his wife's heart and he expressed his gratefulness for her tender, nurturing care of him through words and deeds. He is survived by his daughter Dr. Marion Kathleen (Kat) Anderson of Davis, son William Scott Anderson of Sutter Creek, daughter Jandy Rebecca Jones of San Jose, son-in-law Lawrence Bruce Jones of San Jose, and granddaughters, Whitney Alvina Jones and Savannah Tipton Jones of San Jose. Andy is fondly remembered as a loving husband, caring father, and adored grandfather. The Colonel was born on December 21, 1924 in Los Angeles-and from early-on he loved the ocean, sailing, and bodysurfing-a beach boy at heart, long before the band took that name. His adventurous spirit enriched our family with his singing of barbershop harmony, telling jokes, reciting limericks, sharing sentimental stories that could bring us to tears, and introducing us to sailing, downhill skiing,tennis, and Broadway musicals. The Colonel always looked on the bright side of life, easing our dashed hopes and disappointments with the motto "something even better will come along". And it often did.... Colonel Anderson has been a resident of Stockton since 1968, when he retired as a Lt. Colonel from the Air Force. While in the Air Force he served as a navigator, pilot, missile commander and project manager. He attended U.S.C. for 3 years and then got his bachelor's degree in engineering while in the Air Force from the Institute ofTechnology. He received his Master's Degree in Management from the University of North Dakota, also while in the Air Force. During World War II, the Colonel was a navigator in a B-24 and flew more than forty combat missions in the South Pacific. After retirement from the military, he became a member of the Retired Officers Association. Andy served in uniform as a STARS officer. He also functioned as past president of Toastmasters International. Andy sang, performed, and relished being a member of SPEBSQSA (Barbershoppers). On the North Stockton Rotary, he was an active participant. In addition, he served as an assistant tennis coach for Special Olympics. The Colonel finished writing his memoirs in 2001,and published "The Better Part of Valor", an autobiography, that provided a recounting of his life experiences - both challenging and inspirational. Our Dad and Husband had a strong,loving faith in Jesus as his Savior and Lord, and he lived out his life in devotion to loving his family and God. We salute you Colonel for being devoted to our family and making such a difference in our lives. We will miss you greatly. Memorial services are private. Donations may be made in the Colonel's memory to a favorite charity.