Frank Clayton Anderson Jr.

1930 - 2022

Frank Clayton Anderson, Jr.
May 14, 1930 - July 3, 2022
Frank C. Anderson Jr., skilled craftsman, adept sailor, devoted friend, and loving father, passed away on July 3, 2022. Frank (also known as "Fuzz" to friends and "Bo" to family) was born in Mobile, AL in 1930 and grew up in New Orleans, LA, where he learned to love the water and forged lifelong friendships. His parents were the late Frank C. Anderson Sr. and Lucille McFarland Anderson; his godfather was his late great-uncle Munroe Dunaway Anderson, namesake of UT's MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Frank attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, LA and Asheville Boarding School in Asheville, NC, then entered Tulane University in 1949 to study architecture. In 1951, he left Tulane and joined the Navy. After completing boot camp at the United States Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, he was stationed at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi where he worked as a technical flight instructor during the Korean War.
In 1954, Frank married Joan Scheuermann, also of New Orleans. In the decade that followed, Frank worked for Anderson, Clayton & Company, and he and Joan lived in several places across the South before finally settling in Houston, Texas, where they raised their children.
After leaving Anderson, Clayton & Company, Frank did a brief stint in commercial real estate construction before becoming a shipbroker for Gulf Coast Marine–a job he loved because he got to visit the water often. In 1976, Frank left Gulf Coast Marine to start his own brokerage company, Anderson Marine Sales, which he ran until he retired.
Frank was happiest on the water, whether boating on Cass Lake during summers in Minnesota or sailing on Lake Pontchartrain. In the 1960s, he and his close friend, Bill Repass, represented the Houston Yacht Club in the Gulf Coast Regionals in Star Class and won. In 1968, the two competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials for Star Class held in San Diego, CA.
In addition to boating, Frank took great interest in woodcrafting and engines of all kinds. He started off building kites and balsa gliders and soon moved on to accurate scale replicas of war planes and ships that, when donated to the Navy's wartime effort, earned him the honorary rank of Second Lieutenant Aircraftsman at age 12. By the time he was 16, he had disassembled and reassembled lawnmowers, motorcycles, automobiles, and steam engines. He was an avid do-it-yourselfer, adding a spacious den to his and Joan's first home and a luxurious bathroom and custom glass greenhouse to their second. Frank also became an artistic craftsman. When Joan and colleagues founded The Living Bank (the first national organ registry in the United States), Frank designed and built its "Tree of Life" logo. Ultimately, Frank's largest single creative work was his 40-year restoration of a Civil War era farmhouse located just outside of Anderson, TX. He lovingly called the house "Oleo Estates"-- because "it's a cheap spread." Although he took great satisfaction in this work, adding many beautiful touches, his greatest joy came from sharing his creations with loved ones. He cherished visits to Oleo Estates from family and friends.
If it's true that what you remember about a person is not facts or dates, but how you felt when you were with them, Frank will be remembered for inspiring laughter and devotion. His regular phone calls and visits to "just check on" folks told them, over and over again, how much he cared. Even the most casual of acquaintances recognized him as a consummate gentleman because of how he made them feel; he treated every person with respect. As a father, he gifted his children with truly unconditional acceptance. Everyone who spent time with Frank / Bo / Fuzz felt valued, honored, and loved.
Frank was predeceased by his sister, Alice Anderson Nusloch, and his ex-wife Joan S. Anderson McGurk. He is survived by his stepmother, Dr. Peggy Shelton Anderson; by his sister, Jane Anderson Rote; his children, Clay Anderson (Lauri) and Mollie Whisler (Scott); his grandchildren, Elise, Bryn, and Austin; and many other beloved family and friends. He will be deeply missed.
A memorial service will be held in New Orleans, LA at a future date. The family is thankful for thoughts and prayers and requests that, in lieu of flowers, Frank's legacy be honored by support of The MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1516 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030.