On Friday, April 3, David Richard Anderson, age 87, of Montross, VA, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family.

Dave was the devoted husband of JoAn McClintic Anderson, who preceded him in death by five years. He is survived by his loving children, Jill Anderson, Jan Hirtz, Rick Anderson, and Jodi Goldenbaum, and their partners, Joe Jamerson, John Hirtz, Gina Anderson, and Mark Goldenbaum. He also leaves his cherished grandchildren: Amanda; Emma (Colin); Emily (Alex); Kate; Ben; Patrick; Maddie; Owen; and Gwen.

Dave is further survived by his much-loved brothers, Jerry (Phyllis) and Dan (Greg), as well as his McClintic brothers-in-law: Bedford (Patricia) Bob (Jane) and Jerry (Sara), and sisterin- law Gay Reynolds (Bill, deceased). He was predeceased by brothers-in-law: Levi (Ramona), Alan (Dora), Wayne (Tommy), and Patrick (Bobbie Ann). Dave was also preceded in death by his dear parents, Clair and Dorothy Anderson.

Dave grew up in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, a place that lived vividly in his heart all his life. When his father, a former brickmaker, got a job working for IBM in Washington, DC, Dave left behind treasured relatives and friends, whom he spoke of with fondness—and laughter about shared mischief—all his days.

Settling into his new home of Alexandria, Virginia (and soon Riverdale, Maryland), Dave attended John Carroll High School—a school of which he was particularly proud due to its early commitment to racial integration. He proudly served in the Air Force as a radar operator from 1956 to 1960, a time he loved to recount with stories that included motorcycles, staying out past curfew, and plenty of capers. He went on to earn an Associate of Arts and Science degree from Rutgers University on the GI Bill.

Dave met JoAn through friends, and the two fell in love. He began his career at IBM feeding punch cards into mainframe computers during off hours, soon earning a job as a programmer. His growing career took him, JoAn, and their growing family through Maryland, New Jersey, Kentucky, Hong Kong, and Singapore before the couple ultimately retired to their adopted home of Montross, Virginia. As a colleague and program manager, Dave was an organized problem solver, great with people, attentive to detail, and a strategic thinker. He made many treasured connections through his time with IBM, forming a crew of lifelong friends who went on beach trips together, got up to shenanigans, and shared “happy hours.” His career culminated in the formation of a consultancy with his friend and fellow IBMer, Ed Hong.

Dave was universally loved for his sense of humor, his warmth, his funny stories, and his humble good nature. He was an enthusiastic world traveler, his job with IBM taking his family to live in Southeast Asia, where the older children— then in college—made frequent visits. He was known to pull his family out the door every weekend to wander obscure street markets and hike through mainland China, sometimes getting them in and out of pickles. One of the zaniest adventures Dave spearheaded was a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railroad from Moscow to Beijing during the Soviet era, when tourism was so rare in the region that a pair of Soviet minders was assigned to follow the family. Dave handed out chocolate bars and Twizzlers, winning over elderly Russian babushkas and Soviet soldiers alike. He also fulfilled, in these years, a lifelong dream to visit Tahiti, as well as seeing many other countries.

Dave loved to read books about history, especially about the Founding Fathers. He had a keen, curious mind and a steady work ethic that never allowed him to be idle. He could solve any problem for his children and— in the times before Google Maps—loved to give driving directions, getting you anywhere from point A to point B by using the landmark of every Dunkin’ Donuts on the Eastern Seaboard. In his more able-bodied days, Dave adored sailing (getting his captain’s license in Singapore), flying single-engine aircraft, hiking, and running. He had a deep affinity for the water— boating and fishing—and a special relationship with the osprey who nested on the dock behind his house. Each year he ran a contest among his children and grandchildren to guess when the osprey would return after winter. He kept a keen eye on Nomini Creek and more than once participated in rescues of stranded boaters.

Dave extended his love of the water into his artistic endeavors as a carver of birds and ducks. His carvings were featured in many shows and won several awards, though most rewarding were his friendships with his fellow carvers. He leaves behind a treasure trove of creations, forever to be valued by his family and friends.

He and JoAn made their home on the Nomini a joyful place for their grandchildren to build lifelong memories, including fishing and swimming off the dock, trips to the ice cream store and the dollar store, Amazon shopping sprees, guitar sing-alongs, golf cart rides, watching Fourth of July fireworks, and the infamous family Christmas talent show. He was deeply proud of his children, his children’s partners, and his grandchildren, to whom he offered wisdom, support, encouragement, and a safe harbor through life’s ups and downs.

When—at age 61—he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and found himself losing his mobility, Dave replaced his on-foot adventures by picking up the guitar, a hobby enjoyed earlier in life, and teaching himself to become an accomplished musician. He never met a challenge he didn’t find a “workaround” for, but most profoundly, he never met a challenge that didn’t make him a deeper, kinder, and more appreciative person.

Dave was fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful neighbors and friends to the very end of his life. He was embraced by buddies at his home on Nomini Creek and enjoyed special pizza lunches with friends (*we are not sure what the ratio was of pizza to bourbon). A lifelong Catholic, he recently joined Currioman Baptist Church, where he came to feel welcomed and loved by the congregants and Pastor Bobby Greene. An enormous part of his life was music at the weekly flea market, where he treasured his friends and fellow musicians of the Warsaw Opry Band, meeting and playing with them faithfully for years.

One of the great surprises in Dave’s later years was his valued friendship with his caretaker, Tee Johnson. Fiercely independent, Dave had resisted having help until Tee appeared in his life, matching wits with him and earning his love and respect. Tee and Dave had a deep concern for one another; they loved to give each other a hard time and share advice when things were difficult. Tee’s efforts to care for Dave in his final days were nothing short of heroic. We would also like to acknowledge the compassionate care and help offered by Juli Hernandez.

In recent years, Dave took great joy in his mentorship of two students in Myanmar: Neidi Lin and Myo Sat Aung. Initially signing on as their online English teacher, Dave’s relationship with these two young people transformed into a deep friendship that extended to regular phone calls and video celebrations with their families. He was extremely proud of their accomplishments and successes in the face of enormous hardships.

Finally, perhaps the most notable thing about Dave was his deep devotion to his wife, JoAn, who preceded him in leaving this world in 2021. He kept her memory alive in all that he did and took on the formidable role of creating a space for joy, laughter, and love to flourish for his family, even in her absence.

Now, our father leaves a space in our hearts that can never be filled, but we are comforted to know that he and our beloved mother are together. Dave was deeply grateful for all that he had been given, and on one of his last days at home, he said, “Everything is going to be okay, because God is looking out for us.” We give thanks to all who knew him and filled his life with such joy. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to make a donation to the Brackett Refugee Education Fund (www.brackettfund. org/home), the organization through which Dave taught Neidi and Myo. If you prefer to contribute funds to support Neidi and Myo directly, please reach out to Jill Anderson at tktktk.

A gathering at Dave’s home, with refreshments, will follow the service.