Obituary: Anderson, William Edward, Md
Age 93
He was born July 29, 1921 and raised in Missoula, MT.
He was pre-deceased by his mother, Marjorie Simons Anderson; brother, Herbert Louis Anderson; and father, Herbert William Anderson.
He attended the University of Montana for two years majoring in Forestry and fought forest fires as a smoke jumper in the summers.
He was raised by a single mother during The Depression and was a self-made man.
He enlisted in the US Navy in 1942 serving in the South Pacific on the Battleship New Mexico in WWII.
He received his undergraduate medical training through the Navy, University of Notre Dame and University of North Dakota.
He completed his post-graduate medical training at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia where he received his Doctorate in Medicine in Family Medicine in 1949.
It was there that he met his future wife Doris Eloise Treiber who graduated in 1949 from Temple University’s School of Nursing.
They married in 1950 and recently celebrated 64 years of marriage.
After serving a one year internship at the US Naval Hospital in Bethesda, MD he and Doris moved to Spokane where he did his residency at Sacred Heart Medical Center followed by a three year practice at The Rockwood Clinic.
He was called back to serve in the US Navy during the Korean War and was stationed at Whidbey Island.
Upon discharge, he returned to Spokane and opened a solo Family Practice Clinic in the Spokane Valley in 1954 and worked until he retired in 1983.
He always celebrated the rich privilege allowed him in the practice of medicine.
He took the Hippocratic Oath to heart.
He was an old-fashioned style doctor who made house calls and delivered babies in the middle of the night long before the days of pagers, voice mail or cell phones.
He took his own calls and would be paged over the intercom at baseball games or restaurants during the off hours if a patient needed him.
Through his success he never lost sight of his roots and treated everyone with respect regardless of their social status.
Foremost, he was a loving and devoted husband to his beloved Doris “Dor Dor” and father to his children: Ron Anderson (Joy), Liberty Lake, WA; Jill Anderson, Seattle, WA and Wendy Vendettuoil (Tim), Kent WA.
He has six grandchildren: Clark Stevens, Ryan Anderson, Brendy Stevens, Blake Anderson, Grady Stevens, Gabriel Stevens and three great-grandchildren: Mariah and Maddy Stevens and Kason Zandell.
He was an avid bird hunter and fisherman throughout his life.
He discovered golf later in life and boasted his Hole-in-One at the Coeur d’Alene Municipal Golf Course in 1988.
He was one of the founders and original physicians of the Spokane Valley General Hospital, serving on the Board of Directors of the Medical Service Bureau and Board of Incorporators.
He was a member of the American Medical Association and the Spokane County Medical Society.
The Spokane Valley Hospital presented him a memorial in recognition and appreciation for his professionalism and dedication through the years 1968-1983.
He was a devoted member of the Episcopal Church throughout his life and was one of the founders of the Church of the Resurrection in Spokane Valley (formerly Church of the Holy Spirit).
He gave many hours of volunteering at Meals on Wheels and Habitat for Humanity.
A private family service was held.
The family would like to acknowledge Guardian Angel Homes, Liberty Lake, WA.
for the great care they took of our beloved Willie.
In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association Inland Northwest Chapter: 910 W. 5th Ave., Ste.
256 Spokane, WA 99204 or Hospice of Spokane: 121 S. Arthur, PO Box 2215, Spokane, WA 99210.