Stuart Anderson

Stuart Anderson
Stuart Anderson, with his 2,400-acre cattle ranch abutting the freeway in Central Washington and his signature mustache and cowboy hat, was the icon of cowboy country as he built what was regarded, in the 1980s, as the nation's most successful chain of dinner houses.
Anderson, 93, passed away peacefully Monday at his Rancho Mirage home., surrounded by his family, including his beloved wife Helen, who was his partner for more than 40 years. He had been a diabetic for years but it was lung cancer that caused his death, though he had quit smoking in 1980.
Stuart Anderson founded his Black Angus/Cattle Company Restaurants chain in Seattle in the 1960s and from its corporate headquarters there he grew it into a chain of 140 restaurants spread across 19 states, with more than 10,000 employees and $230 million in annual revenue.
Stuart was born to Dr. Roger Anderson and Susan Carver Anderson in Tacoma, WA, on November 27, 1922. He went to several schools - McGilvra, Garfield, Shawnigan in Canada and Lakeside, and he attended several universities -Dartmouth, USC, Georgia and finished at the University of Washington. He always said "I went to all these schools and my parents never moved so that tells you something about me." He served in World War II driving a tank through France and Germany with Patton's third Army.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother Roger and sister Suzanne (John) Peterson. He is survived by, in addition to his beloved wife Helen, daughters Christopher (David) Gee and Quincy (Ken Pilcher) Anderson, two grandsons William (Tracy) and Logan Gee, a great grandson Oliver Gee and a stepson, Michael Ranta, and a step grandson Griffin Pilchner, and the mother of his daughters, Marilyn McKenzie. Stuart told his family that "Tears are okay for awhile but then let go and get on with your lives."
In commenting once on his building of his restaurant chain, Stuart said "I was the smartest one of all because I hired people smarter than me."
Of putting together his large ranch, he of course raised purebred Black Angus cattle as well as black Clydesdale horses. He also had a lot of sheep but he didn't want to talk about that. He thoroughly enjoyed both the ranching and restaurant business despite the different life styles.
He didn't forget his civic duties. He was a Sr. Director of the Washington State Restaurant Association and was honored as the "Man of The Year" in the restaurant industry. He was on the board of the Washington State 4-H and headed up the Washington Cancer Drive, served on the boards of WAIF, Visitors for the School of Professional Studies at Central WA Univ. and the Board of the Evergreen Safety Council. He was inducted into the Ellensburg Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2008.
He and Helen traveled extensively all over the world on some very adventurous trips. They especially enjoyed their motor home travels in North America and all the wonderful friends they made.
A few years back Stuart suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed but his strong spirit allowed him to overcome the challenge and his disability. He may have missed the golf, tennis and public speaking that he loved so much but he didn't let it slow down his travels and his fun with his family and many friends from the restaurant, ranching and travel worlds. He truly appreciated his friendships and his love of life made him a joy to be around. God was good to him.
A private family gathering is being planned in Seattle but the celebration of life will be held in Rancho Mirage in November, which would have been his 94th birthday. The date of that gathering has not yet been determined.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jr. Diabetes Association, 1001 E. Cooley Drive, #105, Colton, CA 92324 (909) 424-0100 or his wife's charity for mothers who have lost a child, Umbrella Ministries, P.O. Box 4906, Palm Springs, CA 92263