Richard "Dick" LaVerne Anderson

Richard L. ‘Dick’ Anderson, who was born on January 6, 1938 in Winona, Minnesota to parents LeRoy & Helen Anderson, passed away due to the effects of acute leukemia on the evening of December 14, 2021 at the age of 83 in Edmond, Oklahoma surrounded by his wife, Aloma, and their three adult children.

Dick was raised in Winona, Minnesota with his four siblings: older brother LeRoy Anderson, older sister JoAnn Borkowski, and two younger brothers, Gary Anderson and Bob Anderson.

Dick, also known to his high school classmates as ‘Andy’, graduated in 1956 from Winona High School where he excelled as a Track & Field athlete. Following high school, he went on to enlist in the Minnesota National Guard where he served for four years, followed by a one year extension of service in the Army National Guard and was Honorably Discharged in November of 1963 after five total years of service.

While fulfilling the obligations of his National Guard enlistment, Dick also completed college and graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from Winona State College (now the University of Minnesota at Winona) where he became the school’s first All-American in 1959, setting numerous school records while earning multiple All-American honors as a standout Track & Field athlete during his collegiate sports career. After graduation, Dick went on to compete in the U.S. Olympic trials for the Modern Pentathlon and to individual competition in the sport of Fencing, competing in the National Fencing Championships at the British Columbia, Canada Sports Festival. On October 7, 2000, he was inducted into the Winona State College Athletic Hall of Fame.

Dick met his wife of 58 years, Aloma, at the home of a Winona High School classmate on December 31, 1961, and the two were married on December 28, 1963 in Coon Rapids, Minnesota.

In the Fall of 1963, Dick relocated to Vancouver, Washington to begin his 32-year career as Athletic Director and Coach for the Washington State School for the Blind, joined soon after by his new bride, Aloma. Throughout his career, Dick worked with thousands of students with a spectrum of physical and mental disabilities, helping them to fully utilize and realize their physical abilities in spite of their physical or mental challenges. In 1969, he completed his Masters Degree in Special Education from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. In 1995, Dick retired from his position as Athletic Director, having dedicated the span of his career at the Washington State School for the Blind and serving the families and students of that community.

As an extension of his professional career, Dick was also a founding charter member of the Northwest Association of Blind Athletes (NWABA) that eventually grew to become the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). He coached many USABA teams in several Pan-American, World Championship and Para-Olympic Games and was twice selected to represent the United States as part of the coaching staff of the U.S. Paralympics team, once in 1980 in Arnhem, Netherlands and again in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. As coach, many of his athletes went on to set their own world records in Track & Field.

Dick also served as the head coach for Columbia Christian College women’s volleyball team for many years in Portland, Oregon, once coaching the team to a third place finish in the 1989 NCAA Division III National Volleyball Championships.

Dick contributed to his community in other ways outside of his career as well. While living in Vancouver, Washington, he served for a time as a board member and athletic director for Camp Yamhill in Newberg, Oregon, served as a deacon for the Vancouver Church of Christ and held long-time memberships with the Vancouver Lion’s Club and Green Meadows Golf Club.

For several years in retirement, Dick indulged his love of home-remodeling (long before it was popularized on television) as a part-time, semi-professional remodeler, receiving many remodeling job requests by word-of-mouth alone. Additionally, he reveled in his other hobbies that included included golfing, woodworking, fly-fishing, boat building, catching the latest episode of The Voice and being grandfather to his eight grandkids, who were often recipients of his woodworking craftsmanship in the form of toys, blanket chests, hope chests, and keepsake and jewelry boxes.

Relocating with Aloma to Edmond, Oklahoma in 2010, Dick was honored and delighted to continue contributing to the sports he loved as a volunteer mentor and coach for a few seasons with athletes of the Oklahoma Christian University Eagles Track and Field team. He also enjoyed creating new golf friendships both as a member of the Memorial Road Church of Christ and the Kickingbird Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma until he was no longer able to play the game he loved.

Throughout his earthly life and experiences as a son, brother, husband, father, athlete, classmate, teammate, coach, educator, leader, colleague, mentor, volunteer, veteran, home remodeler and friend, Dick garnered respect and admiration from the countless individuals he had the good fortune to know and work alongside. The impact he has had and the lives he has touched will live on as a testimony to his life, his work and his dedication to those he loved, those who loved him, and those he leaves behind.

Richard L. ‘Dick’ Anderson is survived by his wife, Aloma E. (LaBarre) Anderson; by his siblings, Ed & JoAnn (Anderson) Borkowski, LeRoy ‘Andy’ & Jackie Anderson, Gary & Rosie Anderson and Bob & Diane Anderson and their families; by his children, Kristen M. (Anderson) Fowler, Erik L. & Kim Anderson, and Jared R. (Anderson) & Jenny Ranum; by his grandchildren, Nikki Fowler, Chelsea Fowler, Casey Fowler, Tanner & Kortnee Williams, Ian Anderson, Masee Anderson, Jasmine Ranum and Jade Ranum; and by his great granddaughter, Westyn Williams.

A memorial service is scheduled at 10:00 am on January 22, 2022, at the Memorial Road Church of Christ, 2221 Memorial Road, Edmond, OK, 73013. The service will also be live streamed on the Memorial Road Church of Christ YouTube page for those unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemorialParkOKC.com for the Anderson family.