Harold C. Anderson
Harold C. Anderson, age 94, of Hot Springs, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 11, 2018, at CHI St. Vincent hospital in Hot Springs, Ark.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William Joseph and Bessie Viola Anderson; first wife, Mildred; sister-inlaw, Betty Anderson; daughter, Patricia Poos; and his granddaughter, Tammy Foster.
He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Lou Anderson; brother, Bill Anderson; sister, Shirley Moffet; son and daughter-in-law, Rick Anderson and wife Kathy; daughter, Pamela Kinsley; granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Heather Bradford and husband Skip; grandson, Mark Blum; granddaughter, Carol Anderson; and grandson, Kevin Anderson; nine great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
He was born to William Joseph and Bessie Viola Anderson on Dec. 30, 1923, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Given the name of Andy by his buddies in military service, he kept that name for the rest of his life. Andy joined the Navy in February of 1941, at the age of 17. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor on the U.S.S Lexington CV2 and was out on maneuvers when the Japanese attacked. During the bombing, they had been diverted to the Coral Sea, where five months later, the Lexington was sunk. Despite severe exhaustion from being turned away by filled lifeboats, he managed to survive without a life jacket and was eventually rescued by the New Orleans Cruiser. He continued his military career, retiring from the Navy in 1964, receiving several commendations.
Later, after graduating from the University of California with a degree in Electrical Engineering, he began working for NASA, where he designed equipment for Boeing. He went on to work for Rockwell and Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics. After retirement, he was a volunteer policeman in Santa Ana, Calif. Andy enjoyed his life in Hot Springs, Ark., spending his time with his “baby doll” Mary Lou, best friend Charles, and dinners with his brother Charles and wife Betty. His love of Krispy Kreme donuts prevailed from his childhood when working his paper route to 80 years later when he and his brother Charles would enjoy a dozen donuts while making doctor’s appointments in Little Rock. He remained highly intelligent to the very end. He loved reading articles about finance, medical advancements, military and current events, and continued to do so until his eyes failed. He could captivate an audience with his firsthand accounts of the history of World War II, Korean War and his work for NASA.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 15, 2018, in the Center Fork Missionary Baptist Church with Minister of Music Shawn Crane officiating.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. today in the Davis-Smith Funeral Home, Hot Springs.
Guest registry is at http:// www.davis-smith.com.