Neil Elliot Anderson, 91, of Lawrence, Kansas, died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, October 16, 2022. Neil was born in Kansas City, Kansas, on May 22, 1931 to H Clyde and Margaret Anderson. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, his wife, Gail H Anderson (2020), and his infant daughter, Mary (1957).
Neil attended Mark Twain Elementary School, Wyandotte High School, and received a BA in Business Administration from Kansas State University where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After college, Neil served two years in the Air Force. Following his service, he joined Proctor & Gamble as a sales associate where he worked until he retired.
Neil met the love of his life, Gail Minteer Hughes, on a blind date and proposed to her over a picnic lunch. They were married September 1, 1956. Together they raised three children, and were blessed with seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Gail departed this world on March 24, 2020, during the pandemic. Neil was left to grieve his wife of 64 years alone in their assisted living apartment and did not see his family for over a year. It was painful, but the grace of God was clearly evident in daily phone conversations with him. Neil’s mobility was very limited by the time a memorial service for Gail could be planned. Due to these extraordinary circumstances, the lives of Neil and Gail will be celebrated together. As they were inseparable in life, it seems fitting that we should celebrate them together as one.
Neil and Gail were very special to everyone who knew them, first and foremost to their three children. They filled summers with camping and adventures. The family traveled to 48 states in a car with a big blue tent. Together, they sailed nearly every lake in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Neil was such an avid sailor; he could hardly wait for the ice to melt and once capsized the boat on a lake in March! Wyandotte County Lake was at the center of many Anderson family events. As a boy, Neil watched the building of the dam with his dad. It was there that Neil proposed to Gail on a spring day. The lake was the setting for many sailing adventures, picnics and Boy Scout campouts. In winter, the big hill near the dam was the “ultimate” in sledding fun. Gail spent every morning running the 7.5-mile circuit around the lake for over thirty years. It became a sanctuary for her daily prayers.
After their children were grown, Neil and Gail expanded their travel to include adventures to New Zealand, the Fiji Islands and Israel. They brought the whole family along with their grandchildren on trips to Europe, Lake Powell and Hawaii.
A huge part of Neil and Gail’s lives were their love and devotion to God which inspired their desire to serve other people. That devotion grew deeper and personal after attending their first Cursillo weekend. The Andersons were an active part of their church. They served as Stephen Ministers, spending time with individuals who needed spiritual and emotional support and someone to listen to them. They went on to serve as adjunct staff of Stephen Ministries, helping coordinate conferences to train others. The Andersons also volunteered in the chaplaincy program at KU Medical Center, visiting many patients and their families each week.
Neil and Gail left behind their son, Tod A Anderson (Kathy), daughter, Megan A Lewis (James), daughter Amy M Weippert (Dallas), seven grandchildren, two great grandchildren, Neil’s sister, Jan Upson, and two nephews. Thinking of them meeting our Savior, Jesus and their daughter, Mary, for the first time, brings great joy. The thought of the two of them together again is priceless.
There will be a Celebration of Life service November 4, 2022, at 11:00 am at The Church of the Redeemer, 7110 N State Route 9, Kansas City, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the City Union Mission or Salvation Army in care of Porter Funeral Home.