Allan Christian Anderson died peacefully at home in Dickinson, Texas, in the arms of his beloved wife Maxine Riley on May 1, 2018, at the age of 94. Allan grew up on a farm in Cumberland County, Virginia, graduated from Hampden-Sydney College magma cum laude in 1946, then went on to graduate work in agriculture at what is now Virginia Tech. He went to Union Theological Seminary, graduating in 1949. He married Carmen Fulton Hayes of Lakeland, Florida, who was a Director of Christian Education with the Presbyterian Church. As a team, Allan and Carmen ministered to Presbyterian churches in Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas. The last pastorship was at First Presbyterian Church of Texas City, Texas, where Allan served for 21 years. After retirement, he and Carmen did interim pastorships and ministry in numerous churches in south Texas, two of note being First Presbyterian Church of Bay City, Texas, and First Presbyterian at Dickinson, Texas. He and Carmen were married for 56 years until her death in 2001, and raised four children.

Allan was a chaplain in the National Guard for 27 years, going through “Jump School” at the age of 40 in order to join an airborne division; he retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel. He also kept close ties with his family farm in Virginia, maintaining the 1745 farmhouse and outbuildings and planting pines on his portion.

Allan was known for building strong congregations; for his pastoral care (which sometimes included fixing electrical, plumbing, and mechanical problems for members of the congregation and community); and for his commitment to social justice. In Memphis, he supported the sanitation workers’ strike prior to Martin Luther King’s shooting in 1968. After the shooting, he preached a sermon against racism that led to a loss of membership from the church and personal threats against his family and home, but also resulted in deep friendships with those who supported his position. With Carmen, he sponsored about 200 Vietnamese for resettlement in the Texas City area. As a widower at the age of 82, Allan met widow Maxine Riley at the church in Dickinson and married her in 2007. They had a loving and happy life in Dickinson. Allan is survived by his wife Maxine Riley Anderson; his sister Jane Clark of Farmville, Virginia; his children Anne Anderson of Acton, Massachusetts, Margaret Amada of El Paso, Texas, Molly Anderson of Middlebury, Vermont, John Anderson of Austin, Texas; and five grandchildren.