Lieut. Colonel Harold Fishburn Anderson MD

April 3, 1934 – November 6, 2026

Harold “Hal” Fishburn Anderson, MD, 92, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2026, at the home of his daughter Susan, surrounded by family. Those at his side felt they witnessed him go on to be reunited with the loved ones who went before him.

Hal was born April 3, 1934, in Butte, Montana, to Clay M. Anderson and Laura (Fishburn) Anderson, both of Brigham City, Utah. He grew up mostly in Southern California, where he attended Alhambra High School. A gifted athlete, he excelled in football and basketball, and his teammates knew him simply as "Andy."

After high school, Hal attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In his second year there he met a knockout of a girl who stole his heart, Jill Alicia Wayman of Holladay, Utah. They married on March 6, 1954, and were sealed in the Mesa Arizona LDS Temple on June 18, 1955. The young couple settled in the San Gabriel area of California, working various jobs while Hal finished his undergraduate degree. There they welcomed their first four children. His mother, Laura, was a great help to them during those years.

In 1960, Hal was accepted to George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where he earned his medical degree in 1964. The family welcomed their fifth child there. He then served his internship at Fitzsimons Army Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, where their sixth and final child was born. This was followed by a residency in Internal Medicine at Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco, California.

During the Vietnam War, Hal served as a major in the U.S. Army in Okinawa, Japan, where he was instrumental in bringing nuclear medicine to the base and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. The family spent three and a half years overseas, with Jill caring for the children and entertaining wounded soldiers at the Camp Kue Army hospital.

In 1971, Hal and Jill settled in Roseburg, Oregon, where he opened his Internal Medicine practice, later part of Harvard Medical Park. His practice thrived, and he cared for the people of Douglas County for decades. He also served as the Chief of Staff at Mercy Hospital and was instrumental in establishing ABCT Mobile Scanner in Douglas County, bringing advanced CT imaging technology to the community and expanding access to vital diagnostic services without requiring patients to travel to larger medical centers.

As an active member of the Army Reserve, Hal was called to active duty in 1990 during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He served six months at the U.S. Army hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, setting aside his medical practice and making significant personal and professional sacrifices to serve his country. He later retired from military service with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Hal earned his private pilot’s license in Roseburg and enjoyed many, sometimes harrowing, adventures. At their home in Winston, Oregon, Hal and Jill shared a love of family, sailing, fishing, scouting and ranching. In their later years, they served together as devoted workers in the Medford Oregon LDS Temple.

After 62 years of marriage, Hal lost his beloved Jill on July 12, 2016. Thereafter, he spent time in Newport Beach, California, near his daughter Susan. Hal was blessed to find love and companionship again with Dorothy Hurley of Newport Beach, who was also 86. Their time together brought great happiness to both, and they shared three and a half wonderful years filled with love, travel and cherished memories before Dorothy's passing left Hal widowed once again.

Hal was a dedicated and talented physician whose care touched many lives in the Roseburg community. We celebrate his accomplishments as a Doctor of Internal Medicine and as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and colleague. He will be greatly missed, and his legacy will be remembered.

He is survived by his children, Scott Anderson (Susan), Susan Tobiessen (Eric), Curtis Anderson (Coral), and Jeanette Facer (David); 10 grandchildren; and 4 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clay M. and Laura (Fishburn) Anderson; his three siblings, Helen Anderson, Elaine Cosby and Jack Anderson; his wife Jill; his wife Dorothy; his daughter Cynthia Olson; and his infant son, Bryan Harold Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to American Legion Post 291 to support the veteran’s community in Newport Beach, California, where Hal enjoyed many happy times and friendships. https://www.al291.com/