David Dale Anderson

David Dale Anderson

March 13, 1945 - December 9, 2022

    Dave Anderson, a man of multiple talents and interests, passed away from lymphoma, surrounded by family.  A quiet, unassuming man, he had a multitude of friends from all corners of his life.

   Dave was born in Yankton, SD, but moved to Dufur, OR as a baby.   Growing up in Dufur, he mastered shooting marbles (State Tournament), riding his bicycle backwards, photography (developing photos in his bedroom closet), and playing classical piano, and trumpet (The Dallas Symphony).  He spent summers working on wheat farms and in cherry orchards and strawberry fields.

    During his 10 years of Medical School and Surgical Residency at OHSU, he also mastered skiing and white-watering kayaking.   As president of the Oregon Kayak Club, he kayaked  most of the Class IV rivers in Oregon.

    Dave was a caring, compassionate general surgeon in Anchorage, AK for over 30 years. Many family outings were cancelled if he had a sick patient he didn't feel comfortable leaving. He made time to play the trumpet in the church orchestra and the Anchorage Community Concert Band.  Dave loved to sail, refurbished a 26 ft. Cheoy Lee teak sailboat, and helped friends sail their boats across the Gulf of Alaska, sometimes in storms with 30 ft waves.  He chartered sailboats for family vacations in Tonga and the Gulf of Mexico. Dave was an avid ham radio operator, KL7JKV, and to the dismay of his neighbors put up an 80 ft tower in his yard which withstood a 90 mph wind storm.

     In Alaska, Dave helped build a log cabin from scratch at a remote site in Sadie Cove and spent many happy hours with family there.  Winters included overnight cross-country ski trips and snow-machining in the Peters Creek area at the base of Mt. McKinley.  Dave loved woodworking and finding the perfect tool for every job.  He built and flew model airplanes, even won some competitions.  He mastered sharp shooting and loaded his own bullets, but was never a hunter.

    After retirement to his wife's family farm in Prineville, Dave helped refurbish the family home, buried numerous irrigation lines and spent many hours restoring Ochoco Creek into the CREP program. He built and maintained his own model airplane flying field, which became a go-to place for his flying buddies. A man of many interests, he helped family and friends with all sorts of projects.  Dave frequently quietly said, "See how easy that is, if you do it right."   He played trumpet in the Cascades Winds Symphonic Band for many years and in the Tower Theater production of Spamalot. A member of Our Savior's Lutheran, he helped wherever he was needed, from sound to maintenance.

    Dave will be missed by a wide variety of family and friends.  He was preceded in death by parents, Harry and Leona Jones Anderson, brothers Donald, Clyde and Dean and sister Phyllis Harsh.  He is survived by sisters Dixie Frank and Sarah Wilson, his loving wife of 55 years, Janice Wood Anderson, a retired radiologist and their children Elizabeth (Christian) Martucci, son Collin, and grand-children Mia and Luca Martucci.

     A family Memorial is planned for next summer.  Memorial contributions are suggested to Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Prineville.

Whispering Pines Funeral Home is honored to be serving this family.

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