Philip Edwin Anderson
June 27, 1925 - May 18, 2010

Philip Edwin Anderson, 84, of Bellevue, Washington, died peacefully on May 18 at Evergreen Hospice Center, surrounded by family. The cause of death was complications due to lung cancer.
Phil was born in Spokane, Washington on June 27, 1925 to John and Gerda Anderson, both Swedish immigrants. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II as a tail gunner, receiving the Purple Heart and an Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters. He attended Gonzaga University, the University of Washington (B.A. 1951) and Harvard University (M.A. 1956). His entire professional career was spent at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia, where he worked as an analyst of Soviet and economic affairs from 1952 until his retirement in 1980. He then returned to the Pacific Northwest, where he lived until his death.
Phil was married three times, with the first two marriages ending in divorce. His first wife was Winona Ellerton of Spokane. They had three children, Thomas, Suzanne, and Linda. In 1953, after his move to the Washington, D.C. area, he married Sara Alspach, with whom he had two daughters, Helen and Amanda.
A new chapter in Phil's life began when he moved to Seattle after retirement. He became an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous and met his third wife, Patricia McDanel Giese. They married in 1985. Phil believed the fellowship and the principles of the AA program changed his life and deepened his strong faith. During this time, Phil also became a member of the Bellevue First Congregational Church.
Phil was a lifelong reader and student of politics, theology, history, and literature. He loved ideas, people, good stories, and intellectual discussions. He was known for his eloquence, wit, and abiding interest in good clothes. Phil was also a true gentleman--he was courteous and attentive, and treated everyone he met with dignity and respect, even in his final days.
Phil is survived by his wife, Patricia; his brother Daniel and sister-in-law Helen, of Seattle Washington; five children (Thomas Anderson [Christine Barada] of Spokane, Suzanne Anderson of Seattle, Linda Dotson [George] of Pittsburgh, California, Helen Anderson [Howard Goodfriend] of Seattle, and Amanda Anderson [Allen Hance] of Baltimore, Maryland); nine grandchildren (John Maxwell Anderson, Thomas Wassum, Adam Dotson, A'ja Dotson, Azizi Dotson, Hilary Goodfriend, Sophia Goodfriend, Jackson Hance, and Emily Hance); and three great-grandchildren (Diallo Dotson, Eleanor Wassum and Petra Wassum). He is also survived by three step-children (Donovan Jay Giese [Tara] of Covington Washington, Brandt Giese of Everett Washington and Michelle McFadden [John] of Seattle; and four step-grandchildren (Paris Giese, Isabel Giese, Donovan Giese and Joseph McFadden).
Phil will also be missed by his nieces and nephew (Julie Carey [Kevin], Daniel Anderson, Signe Murphy [Joshua] and Jean Anderson) and their children (Max Carey, Jacob Carey, June Murphy, and India Murphy). In addition, Phil did much to establish contact with his extended family in Sweden, leading to many connections, and multiple visits, between the relatives in both countries.

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