David Morris Anderson, Sr., age 75, of Gainesville, passed-away on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center following a brief illness. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, July 28, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church with interment to follow in Alta Vista Cemetery. Rev. Robin Martin and Rev. Paul Evans will officiate. The family will receive friends on Friday, July 27, 2012, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home.
Mr. Anderson was born September 6, 1935, in Armour, South Dakota, to the late Kuipers Francis Anderson and Barbara Jeanette Dalton Anderson. David grew up in Coral Gables, Florida, and graduated from Coral Gables High School. He attended many reunions where he served as the master of ceremonies.
After high school, he attended the University of Florida where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Following two years as a Florida Gator, he was offered a scholarship to play basketball at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. He completed his studies there for his bachelor's degree with a major in Chemistry.
David moved to Helen, Georgia, with his family in the 1950's.
In the fall of 1958 Dave began teaching chemistry and biology at North Hall High School as well as coaching football, basketball and baseball.
During his second year at North Hall he agreed to go the Belgian Congo for five years as a teaching missionary with the Presbyterian Church and teach chemistry. This decision necessitated a year's study at Columbia Theological Seminary. During that year, 1960, revolution began against the Belgian colonial government and the mission field was shut down due to instability, but Dave continued to study at Columbia Theological Seminary completing work for his Masters in Divinity degree. He chose not to be ordained as a minister as he felt he a different calling in life.
In 1967, Dave began working as a life insurance agent. During his career in the insurance industry he was president of Life Leaders of Georgia and qualified many times for the one of the highest honors bestowed upon insurance agents in his region, the Million Dollar Roundtable. He was also the leading agent for several different insurance companies and passed ten national examinations to be accorded the designation of Chartered Life Underwriter in estate planning.
Dave served on the boards of a number of charitable organizations in Hall County. He enjoyed coaching teams in different sports at the Boys and Girls Club.
Dave has been a member of the Gainesville Rotary Club since 1976 and a member of First Presbyterian Church since 1973.
Dave was an avid theatre lover, and acted in Gainesville/Brenau University theatre productions of Something Happened on the Way to the Forum, The King and I, Hamlet and other productions directed by Ed Cabell. He also acted in television commercials.
Dave was gifted with a beautiful voice and enjoyed sharing his love of music and the Lord's message in word and song with all.
But perhaps Dave's greatest and proudest accomplishment is one that belongs to our entire community: the creation of Mexico Lindo newspaper, which he co-founded with his beautiful and loving wife, Haydee, in 1990.
In 2003, the newspaper received the Georgia School Boards Association 2003 Beacon Award, which recognizes "news media organizations whose coverage over time has created understanding of public education issues by informing the general public about programs, policies and/or issues affecting the public schools, students, and/or communities."
We are proud to know the Library System of the University of Georgia is currently in the process of archiving all 22 years of Mexico Lindo newspapers on microfilm, including more than 150,000 photographs, thanks to a collaboration with the Hall County Library System.
Dave was a life-long learner with varied interests and a teacher who taught others to value learning. You could generally find him entertaining crowds of children. To all who knew him, he was the living embodiment of love and had the ability to see beauty in the simplest of things. Dave protected the unprotected, loved the unloved, and impacted others with the loving hospitality of his life.
Mr. Anderson is survived by his wife, Haydee Anderson of Gainesville, daughters and son-in-laws Wendy and Rev. Robin Martin of Gainesville, Laurie and Craig Shufeldt of Seneca, South Carolina, son and daughter-in-law David Morris, Jr. and Heather Anderson of Macon, Georgia, brother and sister-in-law Jonathan and Paulette Anderson of Marietta, five grandchildren, Amanda, Bryan, Zoe, Miles and Finn. He will be greatly missed by his loving canine companion, Sophie.
Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Road, Gainesville, GA 30504 is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to First Presbyterian Church (800 South Enota Drive NE, Gainesville, GA 30501) or L.A.M.P Ministries (www.lampga.org) of Gainesville.
