Rivers McNeill Anderson Jr., 95, of Vero Beach, passed away on Sept. 8, 2014.
He is survived by his daughters Julie (Glen) Bailey and Emily (Dale) Hartmann; son Rivers (Phyllis) Anderson III; grandchildren Emily Marotta, Erica Rosetti, Erin Benson, Ryan Hartmann, Jordan Harmann, Elizabeth Anderson, Rachel Anderson; eight great-grandchildren; sister Elizabeth (Robert) Homer; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy Varanum, and his sister Judith (Paul) Mack.
Anderson was born in Carlinville, Ill., and married Dorothy Varanum in 1944. They moved to Vero Beach in 1946.
He attended Blackburn College before attending and graduating from the University of Illinois. During WWII, Anderson entered the US Navy and became a Dive Bomber Pilot VB5 Group on the USS Yorktown CV-10 (1943-1944).
Upon moving to Vero Beach he became a real estate broker and was involved in the citrus industry. Anderson was a member of the VFW Post 3918, American Legion Post 39 in Vero Beach, Vero Beach Veterans, and the Indian River County School Board from 1960-1972. He served on the first Variance Board of Indian River County and was a member of the Greater St. Louis Archeological Society.
Memorial contributions may be made to USS Yorktown Association CV-10, 40 Patriots Point Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464 or Autism Speaks, 1060 State Rd 2nd Fl., Princeton, NJ 08540.
Services were held Sept. 9, at the Strunk Funeral Home in Vero Beach with military honors by VFW Post 3918. Interment will take place at a later date.
A Memorial Ceremony will be held at Memorial Island, Riverside Park, Vero Beach on Sept. 27 at 11 a.m.
Following the ceremony, Vero Beach Veterans Club will have happy hour prices from 12-4 p.m. with open pool and open jukebox.