Jeffrey Alvin "Jeff" Anderson

Jeffrey Alvin Anderson was born on July 18, 1962 to Robert and Shirley Anderson in Madison, Wisconsin. He was the oldest of four children. After his father's graduation from medical school in 1965, the family moved to St. Petersburg, Florida and lived on the water's edge of Tampa Bay. The Andersons then moved back to Wisconsin and settled in Ft. Atkinson, where they lived in a big house on 4 acres at the edge of town. Jeff enjoyed raising bunnies and chasing chickens alongside their huge great dane named Sam. He attended Rockwell School where he made lifelong friendships. Tragically, he lost his dad at the age of fourteen and his high school years were a struggle. His mom spent a lot of time in the principal's office supporting him.
After barely getting through high school, Jeff joined the Coast Guard where he found both discipline and a desire to matter. He served as a military police officer and then as shipboard hospital corpsman. He also fathered his first beloved son, Joshua George Anderson (1985, with Valerie Cain). Following his Coast Guard years, he returned to Tampa to get his Associate's Degree. He substitute-taught by day and delivered papers, often barefoot, by night (sometimes with Josh in tow); while his weekends were filled with the rowdiness of Tampa Rugby Club. Collectively, these experiences led him to get his Master's in Education. In 1992, he moved to Casper, Wyoming to teach children with emotional and behavioral challenges. Jeff was a mountain man and thrilled to be living out West.
In 1993, he met his life partner, Ami, who coincidentally was also a special education teacher. Together, they moved to Tampa, where Jeff earned his PhD at the University of South Florida. (Fully intending to move back out west afterwards.) In 1997, he defended his dissertation and married Ami. Fate then took him to Indianapolis, Indiana for a faculty position at IUPUI. (1998–2006). He later moved to IU Bloomington (2006–2025).
Professionally, Jeff "moved mountains." He taught undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in teacher preparation and special education. He engaged in international work in both Kosovo and South Sudan. Additionally, he was a well published researcher. Jeff held many leadership roles, including department chair and associate dean at Indiana University; past-president of the Higher Education Consortium of Special Education (HECSE); former associate editor of the Journal of Child and Family Studies; and an independent hearing officer for the Indiana Department of Education. He particularly enjoyed his work with Indianapolis Public Schools and the United States Justice Department.
While in Indianapolis, Jeff and Ami raised three more incredible children: Jakobi Kenneth Anderson (2000), Jonas Gerald Anderson (2003), and Aspen Josi Anderson (2004). Jeff spent their childhood years watching a lot of his children's sporting events (some of which he coached), showing them the world through travel, and often spent summers on Anna Maria Island.
Jeff lived a full life, had wildly diverse experiences, and mattered in the lives of many. He spent a great amount of energy helping others to help themselves. He was on a consummate mission of self-improvement with the goal to be a better, healthier human; this included 23 years of sobriety. Jeff's favorite things were road trips, Starbucks coffee, good music, and his cattle dogs. His proudest accomplishment was successfully fathering four good humans. He adored his children.
In the spring of 2025, he retired from IU and accepted a position as the inaugural Wyoming Excellence Chair in Special Education at the University of Wyoming. This was where he intended to finish his career. The mountain man was finally back where his heart and soul belonged. A month later, in the dawn of September 4th, he passed away in his sleep of cardiac arrest. Such brutal irony.
Jeff is survived by his wife, Ami (Peterson); sons, Joshua (Jasmin), Jakobi (Nicole), and Jonas; daughter, Aspen; two grandchildren, Jakob and Johanna (children of Joshua); his mother, Shirley Kutz; his brothers, Bob and Larry; many nieces and nephews; in-laws, Agnes and Brent Steffens and Cheri Peterson; step-siblings; relatives and friends; and his dog, Lupine.
Jeff was preceded in death by his father, Robert Anderson; stepfather, Gerald Kutz; sister, Rebecca Shefchek; and father-in-law, Kenneth Peterson.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. (Jeff had no interest in a funeral.)
Condolences can be sent to the family at:
Ami, Jonas, and Aspen – 224 N. East St., Indianapolis, IN 46204
Jakobi – 10303 Interlaaken Drive Southwest, Lakewood, WA 98498
Joshua – Hochriedstraße 25, 87509 Immenstadt im Allgäu, Germany
Shirley – 915 McCoy Park Road, Ft. Atkinson, WI 53538