Donald Joseph Anderson

Donald Joseph Anderson, age 58, suddenly passed away in his home in Wilsonville, Oregon—in the arms of his wife, Lin (Gervais) Anderson—on the morning of December 1, 2023. Don was born on October 27, 1965, in Torrance, California to Donald Anderson and Martha (McGarrahan) Anderson, their first child and only son. The family moved to Fremont, California in 1978, where Don graduated from Washington High School in 1983. From 1983-1986, he served in the 180th AVN division of the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany as a SP4 Flight Engineer on Chinook helicopters. His short time in the Army was particularly impactful on the rest of his life, especially as this was where he first met good beer. After returning to the United States in 1986, he attended Northrop University in Inglewood, California, earning a certificate in Airframe and Powerplant Maintenance in 1988, then began working as a sheet metal mechanic for United Airlines. It was around this time that he also began dating Lin. The two married on December 3, 1994, in Fremont, California. Lin gave him a homebrewing kit for his 30th birthday, and his lifelong passion for beer was reinforced: he loved making it, too. Over the next twenty years, Don switched career paths to work in high tech, had three children, and moved to West Linn, Oregon. In 2015, Don decided it was time to follow his dreams of beer and his own business. Don and Lin opened Vanguard Brewing Company together in Wilsonville, Oregon in September 2015. They built a thriving business brewing and selling the classic German beer styles Don had become acquainted with 40 years prior and, more importantly, formed a wide-reaching community that gave back as much as it could. During the pandemic, Vanguard operated briefly as a soup kitchen for those in need, and Don hosted a monthly Vet’s Night as a tight-knit meet-up and support system for local veterans. Don was a complex man; everyone who knew him got to witness a unique way he moved through the world. His sense of humor, rich storytelling ability, stubborn nature, and determination, however, were known by all. He loved video games (especially Skyrim, which he finished the month before his death after more than 2,900 hours of gameplay), long drives, and his family. Don is preceded in death by his mother, Martha. He leaves behind his wife, Lin Anderson; children Lee Anderson of Chicago, Illinois, Becca Anderson of Wilsonville, and Cate Anderson of Wilsonville; father Donald Anderson of Milwaukee; and sisters Heather Anderson of Portland, Heidi Anderson of Portland, and Tiffany (Mike) Yandt of Sherwood. Don’s wake will take place at Vanguard Brewing Company in Wilsonville on December 17, 2023 at 1 pm; his military funeral honors will begin at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, his family has requested that you donate to Forward Assist, a local non-profit organization Don regularly worked with to host Vet’s Night and support fellow veterans, first responders, and their families, at https://www.forwardassistnw.org/donate.

Donald Joseph Anderson

October 27, 1965 - December 1, 2023