Robert P Anderson

Robert P. Anderson, PhD, of Lubbock, died on June 18, 2017, 4 days short of his 93rd birthday. He was born June 22, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of 3 children born to Edwin and Ruth Anderson. Dr. Anderson has been a Lubbock resident since 1955, with his last residence at Carillon Community Living Center since 2005. He is survived by his wife, Iris, of 71 years.

Dr. Anderson was a proud member of the Greatest Generation, with service in the US Army during 1944-45. He was a survivor of the famous Bastogne siege during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. He earned a PhD from the University of Chicago in Counseling Psychology. He moved to Texas with his family in 1952, initially to Austin and in 1955 to Lubbock, where he accepted a faculty position at Texas Tech College. He served as a psychology department faculty member until 1988, with time as head of the Counseling Psychology program. Dr. Anderson was professionally active in the field of psychology. He was the first private practice psychologist in Lubbock. He was an early researcher in the field of learning disabilities and dyslexia, and he was involved in the founding of one of the first educational programs aimed at the special needs of learning disabled students. He was instrumental in the establishment of licensing legislation for psychologists in Texas in the early 1960’s. He served on the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists and as President of the Texas Psychological Association. Following retirement from Texas Tech, he was Director of the South Plains Foundation for several years. At Carillon, he continued his foundation work with the Carillon Foundation.

Dr. Anderson led a full life beyond his professional and service involvements. He was a member of the Exchange Club in his early Lubbock years. He was an active sail boater for many years. He and Iris explored the USA in various modes (camping, travel trailer, pick-up camper), including various river rafting expeditions and backpacking. He and Iris traveled internationally over the years, visiting locations in Europe, South America, and Asia. He was especially proud of his Swedish heritage as the descendant of Swedish immigrants. He visited Sweden 10 times and established contact and relationships with distant relatives from his family tree. He was a member of the West Winds Brass band for 20+ years, where he played the e-flat alto horn. He was a familiar figure at the Texas Tech swimming pools over the years, as he maintained a faithful exercise habit up to the final week of his life.

In addition to his wife, Iris, Dr. Anderson is survived by his sons, Merrill, of Longmont, Colorado (Kathleen Senior) and Stephen, of Toronto, Canada (Diane Gérin-Lajoie). He has four grandchildren, Nathan Anderson, Spencer Anderson, Mélanie Gérin-Lajoie, and Lindsay Tack (Brett). He is also survived by a special nephew, Ronald Allen, of Carmichael, California. Memorial donations may be made to the Carillon Foundation.

Online condolences may be offered at www.resthavenfuneralhome.com