Romayne Kenneth Anderson

Romayne Kenneth (Andy) Anderson passed away peacefully on January 27, 2020, after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born on August 8, 1934, in Clearbrook, Minnesota. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Gwynella, and by daughter Karen Emerick and her husband Sam; son Michael Anderson and wife Brenda Colvin; four grandchildren: Cate Penrose and her husband Alan, Lauren Weninger and husband Thomas; Joseph Willoughby, Jr. and wife Amy; and Wendi Willoughby; and ten great-grandchildren: KateAnn, Evan and Meredith Penrose; Eleanor Weninger; Bryan Dach; Ayra George; and Tre, Dalton, Charles and Lillianne Willoughby. Other surviving family are his sister Janet Holdsworth and husband Timothy Holdsworth; niece Gayle Finn; nephews Kenneth Anderson; Dwight Anderson; Mark Saposnik; and David Olson; and his sister-in-law Roxanne Anderson. He is preceded in death by his mother Birdie Olberg Anderson, his father Merle Anderson, his brother Donovan Anderson, his twin sister Ramona Anderson, and twin brother and sister Donovan and Donna Anderson.

He was a devout Christian, a loving husband, and an adored father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was known for his warmth, his gentle spirit, his integrity, his Christian kindness and tenderness to all he knew and met. He was an avid fossil collector, a voracious reader, an intrepid traveler, and an enthusiastic sports fan. He made friends easily and valued their relationships. He maintained close ties with both high school and college classmates as well as with former work colleagues. He was particularly close to his college roommate Neil Modin and his wife Donna.

He was a proud veteran, serving in active service in the U. S. Air Force from 1955-56 and in the reserve until he was honorably discharged in 1963.

In 1959 Romayne received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University in Fargo). During his career he worked with Hughes Aircraft and General Dynamics. In 1962 he joined Texas Instruments in the Dallas Integrated Circuits group. Later he became a valued member of TI's original Advanced Computer team in Austin. In 1980 he was awarded for his innovative work by receiving recognition as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff. He left TI in 1984 to become a founding member of Ten X Technology Inc. in Austin, a company involved in developing a system that increased computer performance of COBOL applications. It is accurate to say that he was a pioneer in computer development.

Upon retirement, he devoted himself to his family and the pursuit of his avocational interests. After forty years in Austin, he and Gwynella moved to Allen in 2015. He enjoyed the opportunity of making new friends and exploring the community. He joined Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano where he continued to grow in faith.

The family expresses gratitude to the staff of Baybrooke Village Care and Rehabilitation in McKinney and to Hospice Select for their compassionate care during his final days.

A celebration of Romayne's life will be held at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home on Saturday, February 22nd, 2020, at 12:00PM. If desired, memorials may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association.