Members of Andy Anderson’s family are hoping to keep the recently deceased Second World War veteran’s memory alive for a long time in Abbotsford.
Anderson, who died due to COVID-19 on Feb. 23, served as a driver and mechanic with the Royal Canadian Scottish Regiment in England, France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands during the Second World War.
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For many years, Anderson shared his stories from the war in the Abbotsford News and to local schoolchildren throughout the Fraser Valley. He was also a member of the Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada (ANAVETS) and the Royal Canadian Legion in Abbotsford.
In 1998 he established the Abbotsford Table Tennis Club, and helped create local interest in that sport.
Anderson celebrated his 95th birthday back in September.
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To honour his love of Abbotsford and the community, Anderson’s granddaughter Nicole Estrada has launched a GoFundMe to raise money to erect a park bench in his honour at an Abbotsford park. Estrada said ideally she would like the bench at either Winfield Park or DeLair Park, both of which were nearby Anderson’s longtime Abbotsford home.
The GoFundMe is seeking $3,100 – the amount needed for a bench with plaque memorial from the city of Abbotsford’s park gift program. The GoFundMe states that any funds raised beyond the $3,100 will be donated to the Royal Canadian Legion in Abbotsford and the ATCC.
“Andy has always given so much back to the community,” Estrada said. “I used to visit two or three times a year in Abbotsford to see him and my grandmother and he was such a staple in the community. You would walk around with him and everyone would say ‘hey Andy, how’s it going?’ I just wanted some way to commemorate him in the community and something that was going to be everlasting to remind them what he gave back and the value he brought.”
The GoFundMe currently has raised $200. It can be found at gofundme.com/f/memorial-for-wwii-veteran-andy-anderson.
