Fred L. Anderson passed away at home March 2, 2017. Fred, known to many as “Fritz,” was born in Littel, Wash., to Jack and Ingeborg (Lund) Anderson, December 1939. He attended Adna schools for 12 years, graduating in 1958.
After graduation, while living and working in Montesano, Wash., Fritz met his wife-to-be, Karen Dorrit Reiter. They were married in Monterey, Calif., in 1962, the same year he joined the United States Army and left for duty in Vietnam.
Fritz returned home from Vietnam in 1963, and was stationed at Fort Rucker, Ala., as a helicopter maintenance instructor. In 1966, he graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School and received his helicopter pilot wings. After graduation, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour, a pilot, then aircraft commander and later, as a check pilot. Upon his return to the United States, he was again stationed at Fort Rucker to spend his final military time training pilots to be flight instructors, as well as transitioning student pilots into the UH-1 helicopter.
Upon his release from active duty, Fritz found employment with Evergreen Helicopters in McMinnville, Ore., and soon after was transferred to Evergreen Helicopters in Anchorage, Alaska. In December 1969, two days after Fritz returned to Oregon for some time off, the Anderson’s were blessed with twin daughters, Renee and Vicki. Four months later, the whole family moved to Alaska, where they lived for the next 15 years.
In 1972, while flying on contract to Mobil Oil, Fritz gave up on flying and went to work for Mobil Oil at the Cook Inlet Pipeline Company’s Drift River offshore crude oil loading facility. In 1985, he transferred to Taft, Calif., Mobil’s northern headquarters for West Coast Pipeline. Fritz started as Mobil’s lead machinist, responsible for maintaining the pumping equipment, progressed to maintenance/electrical supervisor and for the last four years of his service with Mobil Oil and one year with ExxonMobil, where he was the northern area facility manager over the Taft/San Ardo pipeline systems. Fritz retired in November 2000, with Dorrit, he moved back to Chehalis and into the home he grew up in, which they had completely remodeled.
Fritz is survived by his wife, Karen Dorrit; daughters, Vicki (Mike) Cushman of Bakersfield, Calif., and Renee (Herb) Pokorny of Las Cruces, N.M.; and one grandson, Mack Pokorny of Las Cruces. Also surviving are brothers, Albert and John; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Ingeborg; and siblings, Frances, Alberta, Louis, Bill and Katherine.
In lieu of flowers, Fritz has requested any donations be made in his name to the Adna Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 93, Adna, WA 98522.
