Brian Anderson's Obituary
Brian Raymond Anderson was born the 22nd day of August 1956 to John Anderson and Louise (Hickey) Anderson. He was the 4th child of 5, and the 2nd born of a set of twin boys on that day, at Beth Israel Hospital Boston, Massachusetts.
Brian is from a family of 5 children and he was the 4th child. He had three brothers and one sister. His brothers were John, David and Christopher and his sister was Deborah.
Brian left this earthly plain to be with his father, mother, and oldest brother John who all past before him. Still living is his twin brother David and his younger brother Christopher. They both still live in Massachusetts. Brian’s sister, Deborah Anderson lives in the area around Portland, Oregon.
Brian was married to his wife of 37 years, Christine (Cazinha) Anderson on March 4, 1978 in his mother’s home at 19 Brownville Ave, Ipswich, Massachusetts. They were blessed with 2 children: a daughter, Melissa L. Anderson, born on October 14, 1979; and then a son Brian R. Anderson Jr., born on July 14th, 1984. They were the joy of his and Christine’s life. Brian and Chris were blessed again when Melissa married Benjamin K. Busby and he joined our family. Ben and Melissa have blessed them with 5 wonderful grandchildren; Symphony M. Busby 16, Bishop A. Busby 9, Leila E. Busby 7, Kehara N. Busby 2 ½, and Orin Raymond Benjamin Busby 10 Months. Brian was able spend time with his grandchildren and were the driving force in his cooling temperament later in life.
On April 4 2007, Brian Jr. married a wonderful young woman Lynette J. (McNeilus) Anderson. Though they often did not see eye-to-eye, Lynette truly was Brian’s daughter and shared Brian’s love of baseball and the Boston Red Sox. He loved her dearly and accepted her into our family. Brian Jr. and Lynette are expecting their first child; sadly, Brian Sr. never got to hear the good news.
Brian was a true Bostonian, he lived hard, he loved hard, and he was passionate about his friends and family. He was an avid Boston sports fan. He loved the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots, and had no problem letting everyone know just how much.
Baseball was his favorite sport by far. It was his favorite pastime as a child and he played on several softball teams while serving in the US Army. Brian was also an avid Golfer. By the time he was physically unable to Golf, Brian had hit 2 hole-in-ones and carried an 8 handicap.
Golf was a game he and his older brother John shared a passion for. While John was stationed at Ft. Lewis, he and Brian would play every Sunday. This made Christine a Golf widow until she started joining them for Sunday brunch. Brian first started to golf in 1988 when we were stationed in Hawaii; he would golf up to 3 times a week.
Brian was in the U.S. Army for 22 years and retired as an Infantry First Sergeant in the 25TH Infantry Division. He loved the army and everything it stands for. He was an infantryman and was most proud of his service in the Gulf War. He lived the US Army infantry motto “Follow Me” and exemplified all of the characteristics of a leader. He was a patriot of the highest order and would do anything that his country asked of him. He was a soldier’s soldier and inspired loyalty, respect and friendship with everyone he served with, mostly. Brian did not mince words and would often place himself in a worse political position with superiors in order to ensure the safety, morale and success of his men. Brian R. Anderson was a true Warrior and it was clear the moment that you met him. He exuded confidence, sometimes to the point of arrogance, but you would be hard pressed to find a more skilled, intelligent, or fierce soldier.
After retirement from the Army, Brian went to work at the US Post office as a letter carrier. He delivered mail both in Tacoma and Lakewood, WA for 13 ½ years. He was forced to retire from the Post Office in January 2014 due to his cancer.
Brian was a very straight forward person. What you saw, was what you got. He pulled no punches and could be brutally honest, sometimes making people uneasy. It would be very clear if he did not like you because he would ignore you and not talk to you. He was a master of the English language and he took joy in talking people in circles. He had a way of being crude and openly insulting and then being very sly and insulting people without them understanding that they were being insulted, sometimes even with their approval.
Brian did not let many people get close to him but once you were in his inner circle, you were a friend for life. Brian valued loyalty, and he would forgive the mistakes of loyal friends
Brian will truly be missed by all that knew him. He did not always say or do the right thing and was not always the nicest that he could be, but he was who he was….. And we love him for that.
We miss you! We will see you on the other side.
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