Obituary of Ted L. Anderson

TED LAW ANDERSON March 10, 1942 – August 18, 2021 Ted L. Anderson, 79, died August 18 th after a long illness. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin to Marvin J. Anderson and Eda B. Anderson. Raised in southern California, Ted graduated from Occidental College in 1964. Shortly after graduation he married his childhood sweetheart, Shirley Thornberg. They raised three children. In 1972, Ted was transferred to the Portland area as Regional Manager for Mobil Oil. The family moved to the Bend area in 1976. There, he bought an oil distributorship, later opening many car dealerships including one of the first Porsche dealerships in Oregon. Active in auto racing, Ted drove in many events, including the Zupan’s Historics at P.I.R, Firehawk, SCCA events and the 24 Hours at Daytona. He also loved to travel the world with Shirley including Cuba, Africa and a trip through the Panama Canal. Ted loved his life and was full of curiosity and interests. From learning a new language; labeling all the objects in his house in Spanish; to taking his nieces and nephews for rides through Portland on his Harley. Ted was never still, never “done.” Despite this intensity, he was charmingly and surprisingly sentimental; in love with his wife, his family, his dog, his parents, his ranch and his Scandinavian past. Volunteering at the Astoria Maritime Museum lightship brought him great joy. Ted never retired, remaining active in his business until his last day. Always positive, one of his favorite sayings from his racing days also applied to his life: “Never look in the rearview mirror. Keep your eyes on the road ahead.” He was predeceased by his parents and younger brother. He is survived by wife of 56 years, Shirley; children Matthew, Mark and Heather; and grandchildren, Marlene, Ruby, Teddy and Madeline. Services will be private.