Anderson, Roger E. (Died)

Anderson, Roger E. Age 89, of Lake Forest, Illinois, died on Wednesday, June 15 at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. Anderson was born in Chicago on July 29, 1921, the second child of June (Delang) and Elmer Anderson. He attended North Park Academy and Northwestern University graduating in 1942. Following that, he entered Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. He served in the Supply Corps managing a supply depot in Noumea, New Caledonia during World War II. After the war, Anderson went into commercial banking, joining the Continental Bank in Chicago in the international department. In 1949, he married Marilyn Spence, and they subsequently had two sons, Blair and David. At the Continental, Anderson rose through the ranks of the international department and into executive leadership, becoming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1973. In the years that followed, Continental more than doubled its loan portfolio, becoming the premier commercial lender in the country. In 1984, amid banking industry wide problems associated with the collapse in energy prices, Anderson retired as Chairman of Continental. Following the death of his wife Mari in 1980, he married Linda Kohler in December of 1984. After his retirement from Continental, Anderson left the S. C. Johnson board, but continued to serve on a variety of other boards, including International Harvester, Amsted, Eastman Kodak, Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital, and the Fry Foundation. In 2005, his wife Linda died, and in September of 2008, he married Avonna Lee Landwehr. Anderson was preceded in death by his parents and an older sister, Charlotte. He is survived by his wife, two sons, Blair (Janis) and David, both of Wisconsin, two grandsons, Benjamin (Christine) of New York and Peter (Katrina) of Minnesota, and a great grandson, Connor. Throughout his life, he was committed to his faith in God, and was faithful and generous, both of his time and resources, to a number of church homes, including the First United Methodist Church of Evanston, Illinois, First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, Illinois, and the Spring Green Community Church of Spring Green, Wisconsin. He was an avid fisherman, a joy he shared with his family. He particularly enjoyed fishing for muskies, and was known for the tenacity and perseverance he demonstrated, essential for the success he experienced. His love of fishing was as much about the opportunity to share time with others, especially family, as it was about fishing itself. He was also a sailor, a pastime he enjoyed since his teens. He left behind a legacy of integrity, faithfulness, loyalty, responsibility, a strong work ethic, an appreciation of the important things in life, particularly family and close friends, and a refusal to be anything but positive in the face of life's setbacks. His example has and continues to serve as a crucial guide and model for those fortunate enough to share his journey. Visitation Tuesday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Donnellan Family Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd. at Old Orchard Rd. Skokie, IL 60077. Memorial service Wednesday 1 p.m. at The First United Methodist Church of Evanston, 516 Church St., Evanston, IL 60201. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Scholarship Fund, 2121 Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60201. Info 847/675-1990 or www.donnellanfuneral.com.