Our racing community loses another Hero

[J-Dub]

As we grew up racing here in the Great Northwest we have many heroes in our great sport of boatracing. Tonight we have lost yet another great one.
When it came to “Show and Go” in racing, Howard “Andy” Anderson demonstrated how to do so with class.
Thank you for all you have done for all of us, Race in Peace Howard, you are already greatly missed.

The family has asked me to notify all that could possibly attend; funeral services will take place relatively soon. Details to come once arrangements have been made.
54964

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Rest in peace my very good friend. It was nice that you were able to attend the reunion last year. I enjoyed seeing you & Penny & especially enjoyed the bottle of wine. I'll toast one in your behalf this week end. I'll miss you.

[geodavid]

Howard is Mr. Depue. When visiting with him there, at least 100 people approached him to shake his hand. At least 50 were 40+ and said they wiped down his boat as a kid when he arrived. Not only did he have the cleanest rig, Andy was always so friendly to his fans and to a young M Hydro driver a long time ago. Andy is going to be missed by so many of us. With sincere sympathy to his family. There has never been a racer more loved and respected.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Howard was one of the greatest. Rest in peace my friend.

I was proud to have him as a friend and also to have served with him a number of years on the PRO Racing Commission. He did a lot for the sport with his equipment, attitude and great driving skills. I was very happy to visit with him at the reunion.

[1100r]

Howard was such a good friend and will be missed by myself and so many people. He was a great competitor and did so much for the Pro Racing Category. Mr Depue as mentioned above fits Howard to the tee. I was honored to have known him and race against him for so many years. We all have so many fond memories of him. The one I will never forget was at Shadow Cliffs we were running side by side down Stanley Blvd and as we went into the turn he was just ahead of me and I caught the spray off his side fin. I let off the throttle and around I went. When we got in he came over to see if I was alright and when I said I was he asked did you like my smile when I passed you with your prop!!

RIP MY FRIEND!!!!!!!
Todd Jacobsen

[Ron Hill]

It is always hard to lose a friend. Howard was a friend. http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?1404-Howard-Anderson-Family&highlight=Penny%20Anderson

Thanks for the great Racing memories!

[jrome]

If there ever was a class act in boat racing, it was Howard. He represented boat racing as well as anybody in pro racing has. In the first picture below, Howard presented me with his flag in Hinton, W VA. I returned it to him to take home to Washington and the Seattle Boat Club at the first Depue Reunion. RIP my friend. Can't get the pictures to show up, click on the links.5498654985

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Nobody can figure out the new attachment scheme except J Dub and a few others so I will post the picture Joe was referring to. I took it, and Joe, Howard, and Howard Shaw signed it. It was taken at the Pro Nationals at Hinton, West Virginia in 1977.

ADD: There are many great friends that signed that flag. I wish someone would try to read the names and post them in Howard's memory. We had some great fun challenging West Coast drivers and we lost our first flag to California, we won one back,....Washington entered the fray and lost....and I don't remember any after that. It was a very fine thing when Joe Rome handed over that same Washington state flag from 1977 to Howard Anderson at the first DePue Reunin in 2007. Thirty years later. Seems like not that long ago we were laughing and talking with Howard.

[racingfan1]

Growing up in DePue you looked forward to the races every year. And every year you would see Bob Murphy's trailer parked just on the east side of the pier , Jerry Simison parked by the willow trees that were on the shore line before the lake was dredged , Johnny Michilini's(sp) boat was always just off the boat ramp and at the base of the rusty stairs that went from the shoreline to the street by the VFW with the Washington state flag flying high was the Anderson Marine trailer of Howard's. Maybe it was "cool" blue and yellow paint that was on his boats or that ever present friendly smile that drew me to be a fan of Howard but I was hooked. For the last three years , before the Nationals left DePue , I was the lucky kid who got to wash Howard's boats. No lake water would do for my hero , instead the long walk to the drinking fountain by the food stand to fill the bucket with clean tap water.
As the landscape of racing changed after the death of Jerry Drake , Howard was one of the first to show up with a capsule boat and yes , the yellow and blue paint still present. He was the first driver to win a national in a capsule boat and also the first to be upside down in one as well. I was on the water that day and went to the barge to pick up Penny to take her to the scene which was in the exit of turn one. When we got about half way there , after what seemed like an eternity , Howard finally popped up out of the water. We turned around and headed for the boat ramp and waited for the rescue boat to arrive. He had taken in a bit of water but was otherwise fine. I remember him saying all he could remember was the water getting darker and darker the deeper the boat went down and knew he had to hurry. And after being checked out by the EMT's he said it wasn't anything a bottle of something strong couldn't take care of!!!
I got a chance to talk to him at the reunion last year in DePue and we shared a few laughs and stories. I now regret not getting a picture with him at that time.
My most heartfelt condolences to Penny and the family. We will all miss that friendly smile. Good bye to a friend , racer and a great ambassador for the sport of boat racing.

[Gene East]

I have been away from the computer for a week. What a sad way to return! I never saw Howard without a smile. While we miss him here, we look forward to joining him and so many of our friends on the banks of "Lake Paradise"!

My wife and I have been on vacation with her sister and another lady who has never been to a boat race. This lady noticed my trophies and asked quite a few questions. I showed her some pictures, one of which was Howard Anderson in the 2 man runabout.

He was very worthy of the respect he received from the racing community!

[racingfan1]

Bruce Summers sent me these items on Howard and asked me to post it for him. There are a couple pictures , one fron the 1988 Pro Nationals and the other 1999 , and a couple letters from Howard on the 1990 APBA elections.