Raymond Quintus “Quint” Anderson, 85, of Vero Beach, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2016, at his home.
His wife of 63 years, Sondra Rumsey Anderson, and his five surviving children Heidi Nauleau, Kristin Bristow, Mitchell Anderson, Tracy Egan and Brooks Anderson, were all at his side during his passing. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son Gerrit.
Anderson, number five of six boys, was not born Chinese, much to the chagrin of his brothers. At the time of his birth on Nov. 27, 1930, his father, Paul N. Anderson also of Jamestown, told the four older boys that every fifth child born in the world was Chinese. They were disappointed to learn that their father was speaking in terms of statistics. He was raised in the delightful chaos of a family of eight that included his mother, Cecille Ogren Anderson on Sixth Street in Jamestown and later, on his beloved Chautauqua Lake at the family home in Bellview Bay.
He attended Jamestown Public Schools before going off to join his brothers at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. He received an Engineering degree from Princeton University, after which he accepted a commission in the US Navy where he served as a First Lieutenant. He went on to study at The Sloan School of Management at MIT.
Anderson returned to his roots after his time in the navy, moving back to Jamestown, N.Y. with his young bride, Sondra and their first child Heidi. Following his father’s footsteps, he joined Dahlstrom Metallic Door Company as a salesman. Upon his father’s death in 1967, he became President of the small, but important manufacturing company in the heart of Jamestown’s factory district.
“The turtle only gets ahead by sticking its neck out,” was one of many of Anderson’s mottos.
Anderson followed this motto in business every day, believing that to succeed one needed to take risk. Before his retirement in 1997, he had transformed Dahlstrom from a small publicly held company to a privately held conglomerate known as Aarque Steel Corporation, a family of manufacturing businesses headquartered in Jamestown, with plants and offices in a dozen states, and half a dozen foreign countries. He was proud of the fact he could run a big business with global reach from his office in the Jamestown Furniture Building.
He was a pioneer in the acquisition and financing technique now commonly known as “Leverage Buyout.” Kardex, Cold Metal Products, and Jamestown Laminating, were a few of the companies under the Aarque umbrella. He served on the board of directors of Oneida LTD, as a trustee of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, was a member of the New York State Business Council, and was president of the Empire State Chamber of Commerce from 1974-1976. He was proud to have been an original member of the executive board that created the World Economic Forum which is now known the world over simply as “Davos.” Anderson was appointed by President George HW Bush as civilian aid to Secretary of the US Army.
Another of Anderson’s mottos originated at Pathfinder, the canoe tripping camp in Ontario, Canada he attended as a boy. “Always leave the campsite better than you found it.” His civic life was as important as his business life and he most definitely left his campsite better. He centered his philanthropic work in the communities he loved with long associations with Jamestown Community College, The United Way, Chautauqua Lake Association, Chautauqua Institution, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, and St. Luke’s Church. Along with his wife, Sandy, he endowed the “Chautauqua Lecture,” the centerpiece in Chautauqua Institution’s renowned lecture series believing in the great power of knowledge to help make the world a better place.
Later in Vero Beach, where he moved after retirement, he continued to spend his time giving back. He was devoted to Trinity Episcopal Church where he spearheaded the capital campaign that raised money to build a new church. For many years he was also on the Board of Directors of Riverside Theater. He often remarked that retirement kept him busier than his day job.
The greatest measure of Anderson’s full life is the scores of close, life-long friends he leaves behind, or preceded him in death. No matter what station in life, from the factory worker to head of state, Quint saw the value in all people. Whether life-long friends he’s had since childhood in Jamestown, or the amazing group that stuck together after prep school and college, or the friends he acquired later in retirement in Vero Beach, Quint was convinced, that together with his large family, his relationships were greatest treasures he would leave behind. Through this enormous legacy we know, beyond doubt that R. Quintus Anderson lived a full, rich, and fruitful life.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to his favorite charities either in Chautauqua County or Vero Beach. They are: Chautauqua Foundation, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, St. Luke’s Church, Riverside Theater, or Trinity Episcopal Church.
Strunk Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
