He was born August 3, 1941, in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of James D. Anderson, M.D., and Mildred L. Anderson.
He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa in 1959. He married Sharon Anderson on August 18, 1962, in Iowa City, Iowa, in the Danforth Chapel. Together they raised two sons J.D. and Jon. He obtained his Undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Drake University. He worked for many years for the State of Iowa as a budget analyst.
James was involved in many civic organizations. In his younger years, he was very active in the Des Moines Jaycees serving as president. He was also a District Commodore in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for the Second Northern Region.
In his free time, he enjoyed spending time with family and attending his grandkid's activities and sporting events. He also looked forward to going to the local theater with his wife and friends. His passion was collecting books, reading, and researching the Civil War. He spent many hours researching his family genealogy, tracing his ancestry to the Mayflower Society.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years Sharon. He was survived by his son J.D. Anderson of Ankeny, IA, son Jon (Carrie) Anderson of Ankeny, IA; grandchildren Nick (Brezi) Anderson of Granger, IA, Andy Anderson of Ankeny, IA, Colin Anderson of Tomball, TX and Kayla Anderson of College Station, TX.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 6, 2023, at Ankeny Funeral Home, 1510 West First Street, Ankeny, Iowa. An Invocation and prayer will be held at 5:15 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
