Robert Stanley Anderson

Robert Stanley Anderson, born October 13, 1950, passed peacefully at home in Santa Barbara on February 6, 2026. His wife, Jeanne, son, Jack, daughter-in-law, Amanda, grandchild, Emmett, and step-grandchildren, Lila and Nova were at his side.

The Beverly Hills native known to many as simply Robbie, had deep family ties to the City's history. The son of Robert Anderson and Ellen (Nelson) Anderson, he was also the great-grandson of Margaret Anderson and the grandson of Stanley Anderson, the founding proprietors of the Beverly Hills Hotel.

A natural born communicator and collaborator, Robbie touched the lives of so many with his gregarious sense of humor and warmth. He was a family man and faithful friend who possessed an uncanny ability to connect with just about anyone, often creating life-long relationships.

This led not only to a successful business career, but more importantly, to a life that would eventually be dedicated to improving the lives of others.

He was not afraid of the hard work that nurturing a community took. Nor was the woman who captured his heart. Robbie met the love of his life, Jeanne Cowley in 1982, and soon married her on the top of a mountain in Hawaii. Their son, Jack, was born in September, 1988.

It was no surprise to those who knew him, when Robbie felt compelled to pause his career as a 'high-end' commercial real estate broker in order to pursue personal and philanthropic goals in earnest. He devoted decades researching his family's unique role in the founding of the City of Beverly Hills, preserving their place in history, and protecting their dream for the community.

Based on his extensive historical archives, he conducted lectures, wrote numerous articles, and authored two seminal books: The Beverly Hills Hotel - The First 100 Years, in 2012, and, as the official Centennial Historian for the City of Beverly Hills added, Beverly Hills - The First 100 Years, in 2014.

His civic and community involvement was significant. He served as president of the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, as board member of the City of Beverly Hills Recreation and Parks Commission, as Overseer of The Huntington Library, as director of the Beverly Hills Tournament of Roses Committee, and as co-chair of The City of Beverly Hills Community Charitable Foundation.

In addition, he also consulted with the City of Beverly Hills on its Master Plan, a pursuit his grandfather would be gratified to hear. Robbie's philanthropy included unwavering support for the Virginia Robinson Gardens, highlighted by the expansion of the Garden's children's programming, and restoration funding for the Orchid Greenhouse. He volunteered alongside his wife, Jeanne, who was President of the Friends of Robinson Gardens during the estate's centennial in 2011.

Jeanne was instrumental in the creation of the book Beverly Hills' First Estate: The House and Gardens of Virginia Harry Robinson. Perhaps most notably, Robbie was the driving force behind the reconstruction of the Beverly Hills Sign and Lily Pond in Beverly Gardens Park in the heart of the city. This monument consistently ranks in the top ten-percent of tourist attractions worldwide.

Four years ago, Robbie and Jeanne decided it was time to decamp from Beverly Hills, and to leave their initiatives in the trusted hands of a younger generation of dedicated residents. Settling in at Fernald Point, in Santa Barbara, Robbie treasured every sunrise and sunset with Jeanne... still, and always, the love of his life... hoping he'd done the best he could.

It must be said, finally, that Robbie's true legacy, above all else, will always be that of a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend of Bill Wilson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Beverly Hills Rotary, Clare Foundation, or Virginia Robinson Gardens.