Ronald Anderson

1932 - 2015

Ronald Roy Anderson

June 30, 1932 - June 10, 2015

Loving, devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle, Ronald Roy "Ron" Anderson of Roseville, California passed away peacefully on June 10, 2015 after a long battle with cancer. Born in San Francisco, California, he is survived by his cherished wife of 60 years, Shirley; his children Craig, Mark (Cindy), Terri and Todd (Marie); his grandchildren Sabrina (Chris), Shonna, Lindsay, Cody, Sven-Michael, Aarin, Quincy and Kelly; four great-grandsons Calvin, Tommy, Grant and Bentley; his sisters Gayla and Georgina (Tom); and niece Karen and nephew Kevin.
Ron grew up in the Glen Park district of San Francisco, attended the public schools and City College of San Francisco until being drafted to serve his country during the Korean War. He returned home after two years of duty with the U.S. Army, married his high school sweetheart Shirley Blum, and started a family. He partnered with his father to help build the family business, Roy Anderson Paint Company, which manufactured paint and coatings for commercial and industrial use by Bay Area contractors, large corporations and local, state and federal government agencies, along with food-grade coatings for the wine industry. He took over the business when his father retired. Ron was part of the fabric of his beloved City by the Bay, and could often be found with his large circle of friends in classic San Francisco establishments like Caesar's, Alfred's and the House of Shield's.
Ron was a tireless advocate for inner city children for over 50 years, serving on the board in various roles and as President for the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco. He helped shape and expand the organization, providing special programs and services for kids who didn't otherwise have access to after school social, sports or academic activities. The Club's summer camp in Mendocino was his greatest joy - a place where children could leave the rigors of inner city living and spend two weeks in the outdoors swimming, horseback riding, and other classic, summer camp activities. Over the years, Ron helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide camp scholarships so these children could attend for free.
Ron was also a member of the San Francisco Rotary Club, serving on numerous committees during his decades of membership. Proud of his Swedish heritage, Ron and his family spent several weeks every summer in Sveadal, a rustic summer resort nestled in the mountains outside of Santa Cruz where Swedish-American families celebrated their culture together.
Ron spent countless hours cheering on his children through their many sports teams and activities, taking on coaching roles in Little League, volunteering in their schools and helping organize and run fundraising events. He looked forward to annual family vacations, piling luggage and kids in the back of the station wagon for journeys up and down the west coast. He had a life-long passion for antique cars and boats, loved his weekend golfing at the Olympic Club of San Francisco, and spent most of his retirement years in Lake Tahoe. Ron could often be heard offering his - and his father's - favorite Swedish-derived toast at family gatherings: "Skoal to the captain, skoal to the crew, skoal to the whole darn family, too."
A lakeside celebration of Ron's life will be held on Monday, July 6th at 11:00 AM at the Gatekeeper's Museum in Tahoe City, followed by a luncheon. The family requests donations be made to Camp Mendocino, c/o San Francisco Boys and Girls Club.