Lyle Edgar Anderson

1936 - 2025

Janesville, WI - Lyle Anderson (89) of Janesville, WI, passed away peacefully on December 6, 2025. He succumbed to a brief illness and passed with his family by his side.

Lyle was born in Wyeville, WI, on May 23, 1936, to Sarah (Rutlin) and Edgar Victor Anderson.

Lyle was one of five children raised on the family farm outside of Tomah, WI, where he developed an impenetrable work ethic and love for the outdoors.

Lyle graduated from Tomah High School in 1954 and joined the U.S. Army in October of 1955. After two years of active duty, he joined the Army National Guard and was honorably discharged in 1961.

In 1958, Lyle was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He successfully managed the disease with multiple daily injections for 67 years. In 1959, he moved to Janesville for a job at Fisher Body (General Motors) where he would work for the next thirty-three years. He also became a veterinary assistant and met his future wife of sixty years, Judy, through his boss. They were married on August 7, 1965, at Grace Lutheran Church in Monroe, WI. Lyle soon found the property he would call home for the next 59 years-a brick ranch with a large yard that would become a source of pride.

Lyle always worked two jobs until his retirement from General Motors in 1993, after which he continued painting homes into his 70s. He was a longtime member of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Loyal Order of the Moose, and First Congregational Church in Janesville.

In his younger years, Lyle enjoyed dancing with Judy at the Moose Club and would never turn down a good polka. He made sure that his young family was closely connected with his relatives and made sure that cribbage showdowns with his brother, Dale, were part of these up north adventures. He was an avid hunter and fisherman throughout his life. He enjoyed reading WWII non-fiction and watching sports of all kinds, especially the Brewers and Packers.

Lyle was never too busy to visit with an elderly neighbor or to pick strawberries or blueberries for countless hours...only to give most of them away to carefully selected recipients. He was always up for a trip to the Oasis or Eagle Inn, especially when his grandsons asked to go to breakfast with Grandpa Lyle. He wore his heritage on his sleeve and enjoyed traditional Norwegian lutefisk and lefse at the holidays. Black coffee, which he called 'Norwegian Soup,' was a dietary staple until his end.

Lyle was preceded in death by his parents, Sarah and Victor; wife, Judy; son, Dan; sisters, Ethel, Shirley, and Alice; and brother, Dale.

He is survived by his daughter, Beth (Bob) LaBell, and grandsons Reid, James, and Sean of Kenosha, WI, as well as nieces and nephews who fondly remember Uncle Lyle.

Special thanks to the Aurora Lakeland Medical Center for their competent and compassionate care during this difficult time.

Family and friends are invited to HENKE-CLARSON FUNERAL HOME, 1010 N. Wright Road, Janesville, WI, on Saturday, December 13, 2025, for a visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. followed by a service where Lyle will be honored along with his wife, Judy, who passed the day before him. Online condolences are welcome at www.henkeclarson.com.