Mr. Anderson was born in 1928, the eldest child of Harold and Hilda Anderson. He graduated from Clio High School and enrolled in the University of Michigan as a mechanical engineering student. There, he met Clara “Libby” Stratton. They married in 1951.
After graduating, he served as a lieutenant on the USS Salem. He began work in 1954 with AC Spark Plug Division.
At AC, he was a leader in the project of converting instrument panels from die-cast metals to plastic, and coordinated a program of adapting printed circuits into panel wiring. He also is credited with incorporating wedge-based lamp applications into instrument panels, which became an industry standard.
He rose to become manager of Plant 3, which manufactured spark plugs. In 1972 he became manager of Plant 7, where oil filters were made. In 1984 he moved to work on joint venture development and the next year became manager of quality improvement systems for the division.
After retiring, he worked on the Michigan Industrial Development Initiative, based at General Motors Institute. He then became a database developer for institutions in Flint including the Visually Impaired Center and Mott Children’s Health Center. When he was in his early 70s, he took on the year-long role of renovation project manager for Mott Children’s Health Center. He also had a leading role in reorganizing what is now Woodland Park Academy in Grand Blanc Township and served on the Grand Blanc Vision 2020 committee.
Among his many community awards were the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to youth, given in 1976 by the Tall Pine Council of the Boy Scouts of America while he was serving as its vice president for operations. He was a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and was chairman of its Mid-Michigan Section in 1964-65; the section voted him engineer of the year in 1974. In addition, he was a longtime supporter of the United Way of Genesee and Lapeer Counties, serving as GM Section co-chairman in 1979-80 and overall campaign vice chairman in 1983. In 1989 he was elected board president of the Visually Impaired Center.
In his spare time, he enjoyed completing crossword puzzles, reading and learning new things about science and space.
He is survived by his son, James Anderson; daughters Elizabeth Sullivan (David) and Carol Hughes (Charles); seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. His wife of 67 years, Clara “Libby” Anderson; brother, Dean Anderson, and sister, Joan Villanueva, predeceased him.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the United Way or to the Visually Impaired Center of Flint.
Burial will be in Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township. Because of the pandemic, a memorial service will be held later.
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