Dean Anderson

1930 - 2016

Merrill Dean Anderson

February 13, 1930 - November 29, 2016

We lost our Dad on the morning of November 29th. He passed away comfortably at home in Lafayette, having lived a life he was proud of.
He will be greatly missed, but as he reminded us during his short illness, he lived a tremendous life of 86 years. The twinkle in his eye is something we will never forget as well as his sense of humor, love of family, and passion for the history of the Bay Area. He taught us that creating something was important, integrity is honorable and to follow our moral compass. He felt a tremendous amount of pride for his family's shipbuilding history at Hunter's Point dating back to 1908. The yard most notably built the "Snark", a 43 foot ketch, for author Jack London.

Born and raised on the Peninsula, Dean attended Burlingame High School, where his yearbook described him as "a smooth personality" and "a consistently strong basketball guard" for the varsity team. After graduating from Stanford University (1949-52) Dean served in the US Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Korean War helping him understand the value of discipline and taking prudent action. He then leveraged the GI Bill to study at the London School of Economics.

In 1967, Dean purchased Alameda Yacht Harbor (now Fortman Marina) and created one "body of work" by doubling its size, selling it 17 years later in 1984. In 1986, instead of sailing into the retirement sunset, he was driven by the challenge to construct a beautiful new 400 berth marina, "Grand Marina", at the foot of Grand St. in Alameda. Aside from the family business, one of his dreams was realized in 2009 with the completion of a gorgeous family home overlooking the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean near Manzanillo, Mexico.

In August 2014, Dean lost his shining light and wife of 37 years,Christel, but continued to be our guiding light with love and fortitude. He is survived by sons Chris, Peter, and Alexi, daughter Ashley, niece Dana Spencer-Leonard, nephew Dean Spencer, and daughter-in-law Debbie. "Grandpa Dean" was a true patriarch in every sense of the word and took great pride in his seven grandchildren: Nina, Abby, Brandon, Ryan, Justin, Jason, and Brooke. He was a proud member of the Pacific Union Club and St. Francis Yacht Club. His social circle included many long-term friends, and his memories of those close to him were tenfold.

We will all miss him tremendously.
Memorial donations may be made to the Boys and Girls Club of Alameda, 1900 3rd St, Alameda, CA 94501. Friends will be invited to a celebration of life in February 2017.