John D. Anderson, MD, 83, of Fairfield, California passed away unexpectedly on May 6, 2026, while vacationing on a houseboat on Lake Dal in Kashmir, India. He was born in Washington, DC, the son of the late Gilbert and Lucy (Woolwine) Anderson. He spent his early years in Cleveland, Ohio and Wichita Falls, Texas before settling in Waco, where his father set up his surgical practice. While there, he took diving lessons and began his interest in swim races. He graduated from Waco High School in 1960, where he was voted a senior class favorite and senior class president. He studied at Yale University and Baylor University before graduating from George Washington University Medical School.

Prior to medical school he had spent six months in the Army training to be a medic. He completed his residency in urology at the University of California, Los Angeles and then joined the U. S. Air Force, where he remained until his retirement in 1998. During his time in the Air Force, he was the specialty advisor for urology and had multiple overseas tours, plus additional temporary assignments as a Senior Medical Corps Officer. John cherished the friends of all ranks that he had made during his 35+ years in the military.

He also taught courses on Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) for the military in San Antonio, approximately every four months. Later in his career he was trained as a flight surgeon, where he took care of flight crews and their families. While stationed in Iceland he also participated in a number of rescue missions for crew members with illnesses or injuries who were passing through that area on various ships.

After retirement he started taking courses at the local community college and became a master gardener. While there he swam on the college swim team and also became its coach.

John was a voracious reader throughout his life and subscribed to multiple scientific journals. He also had an extensive library of books on a variety of subjects, all of which he had read and remembered almost by page. His memory was amazing and he could give talks on many subjects without any additional study.

He and his beloved wife of 51 years, Ursula Berg of Midland, Michigan, were inveterate travelers and had been to over 150 countries. While traveling, he always enjoyed tasting the local food specialties and then purchasing a cookbook so he could exercise his culinary talents at home. He continued to travel after her death in 2019 and was in one of his favorite places when he died. He also visited many countries to enter open water swim races, in which he participated with great vigor.

John leaves his second wife, Judith McCarthy of Lynn, Massachusetts. He also leaves his sister, Bennett Richardson and her husband, Reggie of Dallas, Texas and his sister-in-law, Susan Anderson of Colorado. He was predeceased by his brother, Gilbert Anderson, Jr., MD of Estes Park Colorado.

Below are two pictures of John that were taken at our reunion in October 2025. They are the last pictures we have of him.

John gave a great account of his life for our class in October 2019. Once again, I want to share it with you.
Rest in Peace, John Anderson….you will be missed but never forgotten.