Jeanette McDonald Anderson

 Jeanette McDonald Anderson of Needham died October 4, 2022 at age 89. Her life was marked by a devotion to family, teaching, and service to her church community. She was born in Longview Texas in 1932 and lived in six oil-boom towns before settling in Duncan, Oklahoma. She distinguished herself early in life with many academic awards including state debate team champion in middle school, and a prestigious citizenship award as a high school senior.  She graduated from the U. of Oklahoma, majoring in political science and economics. Her interest in labor relations led her to Detroit, and then to New York City, where she began graduate work at Columbia University.  Throughout her personal and professional life, her strong sense of justice and nurturing character made her a thoughtful organizer who led by example. While earning her advanced degree she participated with the American Friends Service Committee, travelling to Chicago, France, and Sweden.  She also worked with the Church World Service to sponsor displaced persons after WWII. While in NYC she met Orville J. “Jack” Anderson who was a community organizer with the Lower East Side Neighborhood Association (LENA).  Jeanette and Jack bonded over their concern for social justice and also shared a sense of humor.  Their first date was to Rockefeller center to ice skate, but as they remembered fondly, neither of them could skate. They were married for 52 years and had four children.

While she as a young mother living on the Lower East Side, she managed to create an urban version of the Girl Scouts. Her daughter Erika and a few other girls earned badges by attending the Opera, learning how to take the NYC subway, and using the gas-flame stovetop to earn credit for campfire skills. The couple relocated to Needham MA in the early 1970s where she began her teaching career as an English teacher and Department head at Dorchester High School. She is warmly remembered by her Nehoiden Street neighbors in Needham by setting the rules for how old the children needed to be to cross the road alone (5yrs old), and at what age children should stop having large neighborhood birthday parties (10 yrs old). She earned her doctorate from Boston University in 1988 while raising her children and working full time as a teacher.  After retiring from the Boston Public Schools in 1993 at Mass Bay Community College in the reading and writing lab, as well as the disability services department. She continued to work well into her 80s, forming close bonds with her colleagues.

Throughout her time in Needham, she was a pillar of the First Parish Unitarian Church and more recently, a gentle crusader for the rights of refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. She served on the archive committee and the worship committee - among many other duties and activities. If there was a big event at the church she as likely there, or working behind the scenes. She also loved to travel for sister and family reunions and to other countries throughout Eastern and Western Europe. She was a wonderful conversationalist who enjoyed hearing every detail of her children’s and grandchildren’s lives. Her soft voice with a subtle Oklahoma lilt will be missed by all who knew her. Mrs. Anderson was the beloved mother of Mark A. Anderson (pre-deceased); Erika M Anderson and her husband Tony Funari; Luke T. Anderson and his wife Keary; Victoria P. Anderson Davies and her husband Russell Davies. She is survived by her three sisters Catherine Gonnet, Virginia Critchley, Elizabeth Perdichizzi. She was the devoted grandmother of Jacqueline, Ryan, Cameron, Noah, Eavan, Owen and Aislinn.

Services will be held at The Unitarian Universalist Church in Needham on November 5, 2022 at 2 PM. All are Welcome. 

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to UNICEF https://www.unicefusa.org/ways-give