Richard Anderson

1944 - 2026

Life for Dr. Richard Charles Anderson (born to Harry and Fern Anderson in Des Moines, Iowa, on February 13, 1944) ended on March 11, 2026 after a twelve-year journey of courage through Stage 4 lung cancer.

Richard spent his early years in Bell, California, where his parents were avid shell collectors and rock hounds who made desert camping a regular family event. An excellent student, Richard earned a scholarship to USC where he received a B.S. Degree in Biology and an M.S. Degree in Deep Sea Marine Biology. After having participated in deep sea trawls sailing from Chile to New Zealand on the USC research vessel, Richard decided that he preferred land-based study, so he entered UCSB, where as an electron microscopist, he received his Ph.D. in plant cell ultrastructure.

Following college, Richard owned a restaurant, taught organic gardening and biology at Grossmont College, and decided to travel with a group of friends to Belize to homestead in the rainforest. Upon realizing that isolation wasn't intellectually stimulating, he gifted his property to his Mayan neighbor and moved to Tuolumne County. There Richard was an advocate for "slow growth", a member of "Beyond War" and the Tuolumne County Peace Group. He also enrolled in Columbia College where he received his Licensed Vocational Nursing certificate and worked for a short time in the local hospital.

In 1990 Richard was hired by Modesto Junior College for a permanent position teaching anatomy-physiology and microbiology. The majority of his students were pre-nursing, and as time went on, it was impossible to visit a hospital or doctor's office without encountering Richard's former students who considered him a fabulous teacher and human being. In 2008 he was awarded the Purdy Award for Excellence in Teaching by his colleagues at Modesto Junior College.

During his tenure at MJC, Richard coordinated a weekly Kick Back Science Seminar; taught hands-on science lessons to local elementary teachers in the STAN program (Science Teaching Academy and Network); established the LIMPETS program, a research program for kids with Monterey Bay Aquarium and Walnut Elementary in Turlock; conducted field studies to Mono Lake; organized a community lecture series on evolution entitled "Origins"; and established a Solar Everywhere Group that promoted use of solar energy.

In 1992, at age 48, Richard married Lynn and together they traveled to 23 countries, including Antarctica, making educational videos of the environments and leading educational group trips abroad.

One of the most prominent of Richard's skills was videography. He believed nothing was worth doing without video documentation. In addition to educational videos for classroom use, he also documented 46 interviews and readings of local poets, and made 16 videos on vaccines for Dr. Robert McGrew to inform patients of the advantages of vaccination.

After retirement, Richard focused energy and resources to highlight the unhoused community in the local area and created a documentary entitled "Homeless in Modesto." The film focused on the many reasons for homelessness and on the humanity of the people in that situation. It was shown as a fundraiser at the State Theater in 2018 to a sold-out crowd. In the final year of his life, he funded an updated movie "Homeless in Modesto II," again as a fundraiser to help unhoused people in our community.

His character is clearly summed up in his own words: "Although I am nominally a Methodist, I have also studied Baha'i and Adventism, and have read books about Islam and Self Realization Fellowship. The guiding principles of my life are best encapsulated in Wilhelm Reich's 'Love, Work and Knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also govern it.' And in Edgar Cayce's more terse view, 'We are here to learn and to serve.' I am fulfilled by striving to combat the forces of ignorance and superstition, and to create the kind of community in which I would like to live."

Richard is survived by his wife Lynn, Niece Kathy Cari (Tony), Nephew Christian Lutz, and several grand-nieces and nephews.

Donations to honor Richard's Memory may be made to Family Promise of Greater Modesto (2301 Woodland Ave, Suite 9, Modesto, CA 95358); Stanislaus Homeless Advocacy and Resource Enterprise (SHARE at 1111 Street, Suite G101, Modesto, CA 95354); or Planned Parenthood. A celebration of Richard's life is planned for later this year.