Captain (Retired) Richard P. Anderson, Jr. RIARNG, 76, of Farnum Road, Harmony, died on 6 March 2009 at Roger Williams Hospital.
Born in Portland, Maine, on 24 June 1932, he was a son of the late Richard P. Anderson and Adele (Dufresne) Calder. He lived in Harmony for 20 years, previously living in Smithfield. He graduated from the University of Maine at Gorham with a Bachelors of Science and received a Master of Science degree from the University of Connecticut. He was the former Dean of Vocational- Technical Education at the Community College of RI. He worked closely with Bill Flanagan in the formation of the community college system of RI. He also taught at Rhode Island College and Henry Barnard School.
His military career started in 1949. He served as an enlisted soldier from 1949 until 1956 when he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Artillery. He joined Company D, 16th Special Forces Group, RIARNG on 1 May 1962. He graduated from the Basic Airborne Course, Ft Benning, GA in June, 1963. He was assigned to the RIARNG Officer Candidate School as a lead instructor. His attention getting and flamboyant instruction style was punctuated with bawdy anecdotes, jokes and illustrations. He was affectionately known as “Dirty Dick the Dean”. He retired on 10 March 1970.
He is survived by his children, Brenda Anderson of Palm City, FL, MSgt. Glen Anderson, USAF of Warner Robins, GA, Lisa Butera and Pam Gabriele, both of Smithfield, 7 grandchildren, a brother, Robert O. Calder of Jefferson, ME and his companion, Nancy M. St. Pierre of Glocester.
He was buried with military honors in RI Veterans Cemetery.
