Obituary of David-Eugene Anderson

HERMON - David Eugene Anderson, M.D., 82, died peacefully Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011, at a Bangor hospital from complications due to emphysema. David was born July 9, 1929, in Shawnee, Okla., son of Bascom E. and Beulah P. Anderson. He grew up on a dairy farm on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, with his sister, Esma Beth; and brothers, James, Tommy and Ken. David held a deep fondness for his family and friends from Austin, Texas, and he took great delight in sharing stories from his life there. David was particularly happy whenever the opportunity arose to speak with his children, siblings, nieces and nephews, or whenever he made contact with someone from the earlier days in his life. David marched to the beat of his own drum, which as a young man, for a time, landed him 30 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska, at the "Fox" crossroad, where he mined gold. However, it was the artistic, creative and expressive side of David, which he shared with his sister, Esma Beth; and his brother, Tommy, that led him to pursue his interest in music at the University of Texas School of Music, Austin, Texas, where he graduated with a master's degree. His passion for music, which covered many genres, followed him throughout his life from sitting in with various blues and jazz groups in Austin, Texas, clubs, playing for stage and theater groups, playing at churches in Blue Hill and East Blue Hill, to serving on the board of Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School, Blue Hill. David continued with his studies at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, where his particular interest in brain physiology, curiosity about the mind, and concern for the well being of others led him to specialize in psychiatry. David graduated with his medical degree in 1961. In 1973, after bringing his private practice in Washington, D.C., to a close, David moved to Maine with his family and worked as a full-time psychiatrist at Bangor Mental Health Institute. In 1975, David joined the 112th Medical Company in the Army National Guard as the first and only flight surgeon in the Maine Army Guard, where his duties were primarily medical and not psychiatric. He was able to count his 13 years as a public health officer toward his military commission so he joined the Guard with the rank of lieutenant colonel and retired with the rank of colonel. David was interested in many topics and enjoyed intellectual stimulation, dabbling in mathematics, astronomy and the mysteries of physics. He was an avid reader and studied numerous foreign languages with a particular interest in Italian. David was a complex and interesting man, and he will be dearly missed by his friends and family. David is survived by his three children, Eric Anderson of Poland Spring, Kristina Anderson Stephens of Blue Hill and Gillian Anderson of Holden; wife, Susanna Anderson of Holden; dear friend and companion, Brenda Wells of Bangor; grandchildren, Kathleen, Matthew and Lorna Stephens; brothers, Tom Anderson of Austin, Texas, and Ken Anderson of Houston; many beloved nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School. Contact information may be found at by calling Ellen Werner at 207-374-2811 or online at www.kneisel.org/donations.html.