Obituary of Laurance R. Anderson

How would one describe Larry Anderson? Those who knew him would all say just about the same thing. "Wow…..he was a really nice guy. I mean, really nice." Even after life dealt him a series of physical hardships, Larry kept on doing what he did best, which was being nice. Not many of us could keep from turning bitter after being dragged for a quarter of a mile by a horse at the tender age of twelve, developing a life-threatening brain tumor - twice, losing a good portion of the ability to hear and enduring the crippling effect of ill-advised back surgery. But bitter just wasn't Larry, and so on he went being his charming self until the very end. Larry was born in Portland, Oregon and had vivid memories of endless summers at the Liskey ranch with his brother George and sister Joan. After a stint in the Navy, Larry returned home and embarked on an early life that included two marriages, two sons (Ron and Jeff), and the beginning of a life-long career in pharmaceuticals. It was while living in Salem, Oregon in the early 70's that Larry met Beverly, the love of his life. He would have followed her to the end of the earth, but, lucky for us, she only had Monterey in mind. Once in California, Larry excelled professionally as a sales executive for Boehringer-Ingelheim. The pharmaceutical industry was in its golden age where a sharp, kind, hard-working professional like Larry could enjoy a rewarding career filled with respect and prosperity. With Beverly by his side, Larry became a welcomed fixture of the community and a beloved step-dad and grandfather many times over. He cherished his time at St. James Church, fishing trips with his sons and nearly annual treks north for Ashland's Shakespeare festival. As Larry slowed down in his final years, his family was especially grateful for all the staff and residents of Sunrise of Monterey, who treated Larry like the gentleman he was. Please join us for a celebration of life at St. James Church, Monterey, on January 24th at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. James or the Alliance on Aging.