Ronald (Ron) Ray Anderson

On February 2nd we lost our dear husband, father, brother, and friend. Ron Anderson was born in Kingsport, Tennessee July 15th, 1951. He attended Lynn Garden Elementary School and Lynn View High School. After graduating from Lynn View High, he enrolled in East Tennessee State University. With his diverse interests he pursued classes in Philosophy, Religion, History, Geography, Education and Music culminating in a Bachelor of Science Degree. The Journeyman Program, part of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, claimed the next two years of his life. He spent 1973-1975 in Liberia, West Africa teaching History, Bible, working with Mt. Nimba Baptist Church and getting to know the people and places of Nimba County. In 1978 he returned with his wife, Diane, to do pastoral training and to run a book store in Buchanan. They returned to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to finish their Master of Divinity Degrees. Raised by his Godly parents, Robert and Vaudine Anderson, Ron was very involved in many church activities from the time he could talk. He learned from his parents how important it is to worship God and to love your neighbor. He continued to do that while working with Children’s homes in both North Carolina with Diane and in Tennessee with his second wife, Margaret. After Margaret’s death he married Phyllis McDaniel with whom he had served in Liberia. He also pastored churches in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. Berea Baptist Church in Pembroke, NC; Cherokee Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Tennessee; and First Baptist Church Weirsdale in Weirsdale, Florida. One of the joys of pastoring the church in Weirsdale was establishing the Good News Club at Stanton Weirsdale Elementary School. When he was later a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church, he helped with the GNC at Treadway Elementary. Folks at Emmanuel Baptist Church always enjoyed his enthusiastic singing. For two sessions he and Erin Lyles led Grief Share classes at Emmanuel. This made him learn how to use the church’s video system. It was a stretch out of his comfort zone, but he mastered it. From 2013 to 2020 he cared for his mother, Vaudine, at home. She had decided to come south with Ron rather than stay in Kingsport, Tennessee after her husband Robert passed away. When Phyllis needed to take care of her mother at her mom’s house, Ron helped when he could. After both mothers passed, he had wanted to do some travel and other projects around the house, but the Parkinsons’ was creeping up on him and stealing his strength and energy. He leaves behind family and friends who are blessed to have known and loved him. He is survived by his wife Phyllis McDaniel Anderson, son Diron (Megan) with children Robert, Peter and Grace and son Aaron (Crystal), step-daughter Athena Hunter (Earling) with children Earling II and Ainsley Scout, step-daughter April Kristy Beidleman, Brother Warren (Lyla) with daughter Rachel (Paul) and sister Vicky with son Brandon. Also living in Tennessee and farther away are Aunt Jewell Bellamy, Uncle Ralph and Aunt Pat Anderson, Aunt Ruth Quillen, and numerous cousins. There will be a Celebration of Life March 2nd at Emmanuel Baptist Church of Leesburg, Florida at 3:00 p.m. March 22nd a second Celebration of Life will be held at Washington Memory Gardens, Johnson City, Tennessee at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations to be made to Emmanuel Baptist Church (1710 Hwy 441 Leesburg, Florida 34748), The International Mission Board of the SBC (imb.org), The Parkinson’s Society (Parkinson.org), Cornerstone Hospice (601 Mariposa Way The Villages, Florida 32162) or Grace Fellowship of Mineral Baptist Church (P.O. Box 140 Ft. Ashby, WV 26719).

Ronald (Ron) Ray Anderson

July 15, 1951 - February 2, 2025