George C. Anderson

1921 - 2019

George C. Anderson
June 26, 1921 - July 1, 2019
George Charles Anderson, founder of Anderson Die & Manufacturing Company of Portland, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his S.W. Portland home the morning of July 1, 2019.
George lead the Oregon Nursery industry's movement from growing in used food containers to the reusable plastic containers of today. Anderson Die & Manufacturing was one of the first companies to offer plastic pots for growing and propagation in the northwest. The ready availability of George's containers helped propel the growth of Oregon's nursery industry.
George was born to parents, Charles and Ida Mae Anderson, at the Camp Mead Maryland Army base in the Washington, D.C. area. After Charles's retirement from the U.S. Army the family moved to the Phoenix area and then to Corvallis, Ore., where George attended Oregon State University for three plus years.
During World War II, George worked for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Burbank, Calif., on projects such as the famous P-38 fighter and the B-17 Bomber, built under a Boeing License. He served as a union representative during his six years at Lockheed. He and his first wife, Elaine, moved from California back to Hillsboro, Ore., after the war. George founded Anderson Die & Manufacturing beginning with a small manufacturing plant on S.W. Macadam Avenue in 1954. The company moved to Milwaukie, Ore., in 1965. He remained active in the business into his 90s.
George was a member of the Theosophical Society of Portland. He was also a donor that helped fund the Oregon Cambodian Buddhist Society in Stafford. George was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award by the Columbia Section of the Society of Plastics Engineers in 2011. He enjoyed golfing at Eastmoreland Golf Course, bowling and walking. His most cherished travel memory was a trip to Easter Island in 2013.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen "Bobbi" Anderson in 2008.
He is survived by two sons, Richard "Rick" and Larry; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019, at Holman Funeral Home, 2610 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, followed by a reception at Eastmoreland Golf Course. Additional details are available at www.holmansfuneralservice.com
Please sign the online guest book at obits.oregonlive.com