Robert A. Anderson, 88, passed away on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Southgate Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Metropolis.

Robert (Bob) Auris Anderson was born July 11, 1936, to his parents Mary Whitley Anderson and Auris Anderson in Pinckneyville, Illinois.  Bob grew up with one sister Meridith, and three brothers, Richard, Charles and James (Jim).  Bob's Grandfather, Ulysses Grant Anderson lived with the family during much of Bob's childhood. Some of Bob's fond memories were of family gatherings, especially on Sundays with aunts, uncles, cousins, for dinners and/or picnics.  He and his family attended Galum Presbyterian Church.

Bob and his family lived on a farm where they raised livestock and grew corn, wheat, and soybeans.  One of his not-so-fond memories was of hay cutting work in the hot August weather.  The family also had a large vegetable garden, bee hives for honey, plus a variety of fruit trees that provided much of their food.

Bob attended Brick School for his elementary years, Pinckneyville High School, and received a BS Degree in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University. Bob served in the Navy for four years as a Radio/Radar operator on a P2-V airplane where all communications were by Morse Code – "da da dit,dit" - as they patrolled the Atlantic Ocean for Russian submarines approaching the U.S. coast.

While Bob was in the Navy, he and Ellen Duley were married on September 20, 1958.

After the Navy, Bob worked for Monsanto Company in St Louis, MO for 8 years and during those years our two children were born, Robert Eugene and Dana Lyn.  While living close to Lambert Field in St Louis, Bob fulfilled one of his dreams of becoming a pilot in his Cessna 175 airplane.

In 1968 Bob and Ellen enjoyed a long weekend vacation in Florida.  While there, the newspaper had a "Help Wanted" ad for a position that matched Bob's work experience. He applied, was hired, and our family moved to Florida where Bob worked for Harris Semiconductor as a Process Engineer. The tropical weather was enjoyed by our family for fishing, swimming/walking on the beach, finding pretty shells, visiting Cape Canaveral Space Center, watching rocket launches from our nearby beach, and of course – Disney for Bob and Dana, plus a trip to the Miami Sea World to see "Flipper" the dolphin in person, not just the TV show.

After a couple of years in Florida, Bob had an opportunity to be a Founder in a "start-up" company in CA and our family moved to the San Jose area.  At Litronix, Bob was the Process Manager in the production of LED's (light emitting diodes) technology.  The "start-up" was successful, and Bob was with the company for a few years until it was sold to a German conglomerate. Bob then joined Hewlett Packard in San Jose and was a Manager in several of HP's Semiconductor Processing Departments.

During this time, we were members of Los Gatos Christian Church and Bob was a member of some administrative committees and a member of their large Choir. There were also many fun opportunities for our family to see and enjoy in CA, such as the beautiful Redwood Forests and also the Giant Sequoias, many small "49 Goldrush" towns to explore and learn their history, Yosemite National Park, and in San Francisco the Golden Gate Park, Lombard (the Crooked Street), Fisherman's Wharf, plus many other interesting sites. Driving down the 101 Coastal Highway from San Jose to San Diego included interesting stops like the Carmel/Monterey Bay area, the Pebble Beach Golf Course, the Santa Barbara area, the Torre Pines golf course in La Jolla, and especially for Bob and Dana - the San Diego Zoo.

Bob retired from HP in 1999, and he and I moved back to Florida for his love of warm weather, palm trees, and to be closer to our aging parents in Illinois.  Our retirement years were fun and relaxing and we were members of Calvary Baptist Church where Bob was a Deacon for several years.

Then as Bob's health was declining, we moved back to this area to be closer to our families.  Bob was only privileged to enjoy his short time here before the Lord took him to Heaven on March 11, 2025.  Now he is in the presence of Jesus and enjoying being with his parents, our daughter Dana, and many other relatives. Now for Bob, no more sickness.  Just Glory!

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at Aikins-Farmer-Loftus-McManus Funeral Home. Burial will follow in I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

Robert is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ellen Duley Anderson; son, Robert E. Anderson and wife Kathy; five grandchildren, Rachel, Jason, Hannah, and Josiah Anderson and Timothy Worth; 2 great grandchildren and 1 on the way; one sister, Meredith Holliday and husband Larry; two brothers, James Anderson and wife JoEllen and Charles Anderson and wife Sharon; sisters and brother-in-law, Jean Reed and husband Steve, Ann English, and Ray Duley; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Auris and Mary Whitley Anderson; daughter, Dana Anderson; brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Barbara Anderson; brother-in-law, William Thomas Duley.

Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18th at the funeral home.

Condolences for the family may be left online at www.aikinsfarmer-millerfh.com.