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GREAT FALLS, MT – Raymond Donald Anderson earned his reward on March 16th, 2026, in Great Falls, Montana, ascending on eagle’s wings at the age of 85. The widower passed from the natural residual cardiovascular complications of a stroke which he’d suffered many months prior that left him unable to walk. In 2025, Ray’s son and only-child Timothy James Anderson as well as his wife, daughter-in-law Hollee Noel (Woodhouse) Anderson, had moved Ray from San Jose, California, to live with them amongst Fairfield, MT. He was the proverbial self-made man in plenty of respects both professionally as well as personally – serving his country, ultimately working his way back through school to get a college degree, rising into management, helping support a family, overcoming prostate cancer, making several friends with his blessed jovial small-town attitude, etc. Ray had been born a Yooper on May 9th, 1940, in God’s Country of Marquette, Michigan, to the late Edward Raymond “Pete” Anderson and Marie Emma “Sis” Anderson (LaLonde) – technically the fourth of six kids as one had died during infancy. A product of the Bishop Baraga parochial school system, Ray had grown up playing sports. He joined Baraga’s prep boys varsity basketball team as a freshman, and particularly excelled in youth/junior hockey for the Marquette Sentinels. Those talents on the ice provided athletic opportunities which life circumstances didn’t always allow Raymond to take advantage of, though he recounted stories about being recruited by an international traveling squad, garnering interest from a higher level, then refereeing at the old prison. As time went by, Ray participated in golf, tennis, billiards, running/jogging, softball, bowling, bicycling, and he was specifically dedicated to walking regularly at a suburban community center track during his later years until health issues kept his love of recreation limited to only watching on TV. He also enjoyed seeing his son, Tim, be active whenever possible.
As a youngster, Raymond stayed busy with sports, jobs (gas station, railroad), as well as other extracurriculars. Seeing that school wasn’t really his thing – at least not exactly at the time, necessarily, he enlisted with the United States Air Force while a teenager, actually needing a waiver by his parents to do so; Ray served between 1957-61, getting honorably discharged. Upon his return to civilian life, Raymond re-entered employment and eventually found various positions with law enforcement; he “walked the beat,” as he used to say. When helping patrol the campus at Marquette’s Northern Michigan University police, it was actually Ray’s supervisor who suggested he resume his education, which indeed Ray decided to do. On a personal level: he’d still been in touch with longtime fellow classmate and admirer Jean Frances Brainerd of Marquette who’d since moved away downstate to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, next out to Colorado, then settled over the Bay Area of northern California amongst extended family – two close aunts from her mom Leone’s side. By the turn of the decade, that connection between Raymond and Jeanie sent him west where they soon got married in San Francisco, CA, on August 21st, 1971. Ray worked as well as maintained the inspired pursuit of his collegiate schooling, graduating with a Bachelor’s from San Jose State University (CA) in ’74. He and Jean had relocated to the south bay, bolstered their resumes, then brought son Timothy into this world on June 25th, 1979. They were members of St. Lucy Catholic Parish in Campbell, CA; Raymond later attended St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Los Gatos, CA. He proudly held multiple safety jobs, ending his career being the Director of Security with the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center for several years leading up to his retirement by the early 2000's. Together with Jeanie, who’d retired beforehand, they raised their only child in the Catholic faith, taught him to be humble and kind, value a strong work ethic as well as intelligence, supported his endeavors, provided for Tim’s own college degree at Arizona State University, then helped move him to Wyoming for the beginning of his professional employment – often visiting usually by way of their legacy summer travels either to and/or from Lake Superior. Following over 40 years of marriage, Jean died without warning come May 2012 on a solo trip seeing family around Albuquerque, New Mexico, unfortunately never getting the chance to meet her son’s bride Hollee in Montana; however, Ray served as their Best Man for the wedding.
The last of his particular immediate generation, Ray was not only predeceased by his wife and parents, though each of his Anderson siblings also – Jimmy/James, Judy, Kurtis Dale, Jerry, then Mary. Ray is survived by his son as well as daughter-in-law; sister-in-law Carolyn Anderson (K. Dale) of Randallstown, Maryland; older Brainerd sisters-in-law Charlotte Mansfield (Jim) of Spokane, Washington, aside from Mary Alger (Mort) among Albuquerque; younger brother-in-law Charles Lawrence (Larry) Brainerd III of Santa Fe, NM; along with numerous nieces and nephews around our nation, friends, plus former neighbors left behind who’ve asked about him.
Visitation for Raymond will be held in the Bishop's Room located at St. Peter Cathedral on Friday, October 30, beginning at 1:00 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 pm in the Cathedral with Rev. Zachary Mazurek as celebrant. A dessert reception will follow in Cathedral Hall with burial of ashes interred alongside Jeanie at Park Cemetery
Tim thanks his beloved wife, family – all sides, and colleagues for their valued input. He encourages prayers, flowers and even charitable donations of your choosing.