Stephen Gary Anderson

Stephen Gary Anderson was born on September 6, 1951 in Coos Bay, OR. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to their farm in Great Falls Virginia, where Steve lived until he was 12. Steve attended Lebanon High School, but before he could graduate, he enlisted in the United States Army. The class of 1969 always considered him a member and he went to many of their reunions. Steve served in Vietnam before being honorably discharged in 1971. He thought Vietnam was behind him only to find that he brought Agent Orange home with him. After being discharged, Steve moved to Savannah, Georgia where he met Amanda Ferguson in 1975 at St. Joe's hospital where they both worked. The two married on July 1, 1977, in Greenville SC and took a month-long journey across the states, settling in Lebanon until buying property in Scio and building their home, and life, together. Stephen worked most of his life in the construction industry, where he mastered everything from heavy machine operation to deep pipe work and general contracting. He loved jobs that enabled him to be in nature, and his favorite type of work was river restoration. He took pride in being a mentor to folks just starting in the field, and he was like a dad to many of them, which meant the world to him. In his spare time, he enjoyed so many things - from being outdoors or tinkering in his shop, to shooting the breeze (aka chatting) with just about everyone, as well as ballroom dancing with his wife, where they made lifelong friends.  He took several cross-country trips with his daughters, traveled to Europe with his wife and spent a month traveling in Thailand and Vietnam with his youngest daughter. He made peace with his Vietnam experience and had been planning a return trip. He was a self-learned man who enjoyed staying up to date on a variety of topics and learning about things that interested him. Stephen was also a member of the Eagles and American Legion, as well as PER of the Lebanon Elks. On September 1, 2021, Steve passed away at home in Scio, Oregon surrounded by family. He is survived by his loving wife, Amanda; children Sasha (Ali) Anderson, Juliet Anderson, Robert Jackson and daughter of the heart Marika (Colin) Vandersmith; grandchildren, Quinn and Joey Vandersmith, Alex Jackson; great granddaughter Sophia Jackson, and siblings, Susan, Sara and Jeanne. He was preceded in passing by his mother and father; sisters, Fern and Meg; and brother, Leonard. The family is sure that he was met by his beloved dog Princess Buttercup and they are happily storming the castle in the great beyond. There will be a celebration of life held on September 18th, 2021. We will be practicing COVID protocols, if you are interested in attending please RSVP to celebrationofsteve@gmail.com for further information.