July 14, 1942-February 23, 2025
Wallace Wade Anderson Jr., my father, known as Wally by his classmates of Ouray, died February 23, 2025, at the age of 82 from complications of cancer. He fought harder than any human being I’ve ever known. He is survived by his wife, Meredith, of 65 years, his five children — Loni, Tracy, Krista, Wade, and Holly — 22 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Wally was born in Kingman, Arizona, in 1942 into a family of generational miners. An only child, he moved to Ouray with his parents around 1951, his father working in the Idarado Mine, and his mom bartending in town.
Circumstances left him living on his own in town for the last year and a half of high school. He shared his story with me of this time and the good people of Ouray, especially Alice Richardson. He said: “Without being under the wings of Alice Richardson, I wouldn’t have graduated.” Dad spent his last Christmas in Ouray with Alice and family. He graduated in 1960 from Ouray High School.
Dad enlisted in the Navy after graduation, spending his 18th birthday in San Diego Boot Camp. He served for 21 years as a submariner. Retiring, he went for another 30 years working as an engineer for Trident Refit Facility in Silverdale, Washington. My dad returned to Ouray frequently over the years to visit Alice and classmates such as Bob Zanett and Dick Richardson.
Growing up as a poor kid, my father later became a very generous man, always making sure anyone who visited our home felt welcome and no one went hungry. At Christmas time, it didn’t matter who you were; if you came with a family member, you got a stocking.
His goal last Christmas was to hand out $100 bills randomly to people he felt were in need. Unfortunately, he spent Christmas in a rehabilitation center recovering from pneumonia. He moved back home on Valentine’s Day and spent it with my mom, and got to see it snow, one of his last wishes before he died.
I hope to tell his whole story one day. One of the many stories that should be told of the children born to mining families.
— Tracy Whitemarsh (Anderson)
