Paul Andrew Anderson, of Elk Creek, son of Harry and Regina Anderson, was born on
Oct. 30, 1951, in Brooklyn, New York. He passed away on Aug. 6, 2025, in
Springfield, Missouri.
Paul was born into a military family and spent his childhood moving between military
bases in Arizona, Washington and Japan. His family moved frequently and traveled
across much of the United States. After his father retired, the family was living in
Tucson, Arizona when his father ran an ad in the newspaper “Will trade for property out
of state.” This is how the family came to live on a farm in Solo, Missouri in Paul’s early
teenage years.
Living in Missouri cemented Paul’s love for the outdoors. He loved farming, hunting,
fishing and learning about conservation of land and wildlife.
Rather than wait to be drafted, Paul left for Marine Corps boot camp six days after
graduating from Houston High School in 1969. During his career in the Marine Corps,
he worked in various roles. He worked in aircraft maintenance for the Huey helicopter in Camp Pendleton, California. He was on recruiting duty in southeast Missouri and
Atlanta, Georgia. Toward the end of his career, he worked as a technical coordinator at
NAS Memphis between the Navy and Marine Corps and civilian contractors and
traveled extensively around the United States, Japan and Australia.
Paul married Janet Williamson in 1973. They had four children, Alicia, Ryan, Andy and Dawn. Paul and Janet were also foster parents for many other children. After Paul
retired from the Marine Corps, the family moved back to the Houston area. After Janet’s
death in 1999, Paul married Rebecca (Becky) and was a loving dad to three more
children, Tim, Karen and Duke.
In his retirement, Paul’s favorite activities were drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes,
watching wildlife and overengineering every farm project. He loved goats and bees and
he started beekeeping. He was a member and a mentor for beginners with Beekeepers
Association of the Ozarks. He loved sharing his bee knowledge with others, especially
children.
Paul is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers Lee, Glenn, Dan, as well as
his son Tim and wife Janet.
Paul leaves behind his wife Becky of the home, his children Alicia (Shannon) of
Springfield, Ryan (Debbie) of Moorhead, Minnesota, Karen of Houston, Andy (Sarah)
of Klamath Falls, Oregon, Dawn (Josh) of Lynchburg and Duke (Kaitlyn) of Elk Creek; 17 grandchildren and four great grandchildren, one sister, Amy; and two brothers, Neil
and Mark. He was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be
deeply missed.
Visitation was held from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, at Evans
Funeral Home in Houston, with service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the
family asks for any donations to be sent to Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks,
Wounded Warriors or any organization that supports homeless veterans. Arrangements
are under the care and direction of Evans Funeral Home of Houston. Online
condolences may be left at www.evansfh.com.
