James Michael Anderson

Dr. James (Jim) Michael Anderson, 81, of Manchester died Aug. 28 after a fall at his personal care home in Newnan.

Jim is survived by his daughter, Lisa Anderson Fingeroot, and son-in-law, Randy Fingeroot, of Palm Bay, FL; two grandsons, James "Alex" Fingeroot of Seattle and his wife, Skye Irish; and Jack Fingeroot of Palm Bay; a brother and sister-in-law, Ron and Liz Anderson of Connecticut; and several loving nieces, nephews and grand nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Betty Wells Anderson; his son, Rowen; and parents Helen and Maynard Anderson of Irvine, California.

Jim was born to the Andersons on April 16, 1944 in Farragut, ID. He earned an undergraduate degree in plant physiology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Purdue University in Indiana.He was a double retiree having retired from a scientific research career and a business career later in life. As a biochemist, he performed research for the University of Georgia in laboratories both on the Athens campus and in the university's research facility on Sapelo Island near St. Simons Island. His inventiveness garnered the university a patent for a widely-used piece of equipment that measures the bioluminescence of sea animals. Jim left UGA for a research position with the USDA at its research facility on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Among other studies there, he researched methods of creating larger and more plentiful soybeans to aid in feeding growing populations around the world.

He left the USDA when Betty began to hear the call of her beloved Meriwether County and wanted to return to Georgia. They moved to Gay where they began a wholesale nursery business based primarily on the hosta propagated in Jim's personal lab. They sold hosta all over the world and one variety of the shade plant created in Jim's lab won many national awards and was featured in magazines catering to the plant world.

Along the way, they developed a love of poodles created when Jim gifted Lisa with a poodle for her 15th birthday. A family obsession was born with the original poodle and after retiring from the nursery business, the Andersons began to breed poodles and provided pets to hundreds of families. Lisa still has a standard poodle from the Andersons' last litter.

A private graveside service will be held at the Woodbury Cemetery and the family asks that donations be made to the Woodbury Cemetery Committee in lieu of flowers. That address is Woodbury Cemetery Committee, P.O. Box 372, Woodbury, 30293.

Cox Funeral Home in Manchester, GA will be assisting the family with the arrangements. Please sign the online registry and leave condolences for the family on the tribute wall page.