Tribute

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Walter (Wally) George Anderson of Powell River, BC. Wally is survived by his daughter Lynne (Leo), son Bob (Lisa) and grandchildren Faellen (Steve), Riley (Nicole), Jesse (Ashley) and Ben.

Wally was active and healthy even after battling a lung disease over the past couple of years, and he could often be seen walking the streets of Powell River, and he played his last 9 holes of golf only 4 weeks prior to his passing.

He loved sports and he played hockey for most of his life. He grew up in Decker Manitoba, which was a tiny town not far from Brandon. It was there that he started playing hockey on the outdoor rinks. He left home at a very young age (15 or 16 years old) to follow his hockey dreams. After a year in Kelowna, he played the rest of his junior career with the Medicine Hat Tigers, and he always spoke fondly of his years in “The Hat!”

Wally didn’t like to talk about himself much, but with a few beers and the right coaxing he would tell you that he played pro hockey in Cleveland for 1 year, and he once got into an exhibition game for the New York Rangers. There’s no evidence of this, but Wally never lied, so it must be true.

After that year in Cleveland, he got an opportunity to go to Zermatt, Switzerland to play and coach hockey. He jumped at the chance and he was there for 2 years (1954-56). He loved living in Switzerland, and this probably ignited a life long love of travel.

His next stop was Edinburgh, Scotland. He played and coached there for a year and he got to explore his Scottish heritage. Wally’s father (Bob) was from Scotland and he probably taught Wally how to play the bagpipes, so he was very much at home in Edinburgh! I’m sure he found his way into a few pubs along the way.

It was after this that he was contacted about moving to Powell River to play for the Regals. The promise of a job in a beautiful coastal town must have been very compelling. At the time, he probably didn’t think he would settle down and live in Powell River for the rest of his life.

Wally played for the Regals until 1972, and he was part of the team that won the National Championship of Inter A Hockey in 1970. Winning a championship was very special to him, but he talked mostly about his teammates and the friendship on that team.

He liked to tell stories about Bob Crawford, Andy McCallum, Allan Small and mostly his best friend and roommate Gene Strueby.

Off the ice, Wally was a high-rigger in the logging industry before joining the fire department in the early 60’s. So, he may have been a bit of an adrenaline junkie, before they came up with all these extreme sports. He worked for the Powell River fire department for 28 years, and during this time he would also top and take down dangerous trees around town.

All across the Powell River area there are trees that Wally topped to help improve everyone’s view of the world’s best sunsets!

After Wally stopped playing for the Regals, he was a staple on the Old Timers team, and he loved “the boys’ trips” they would go on. The hockey may have been secondary to the trip itself, but the intensity was likely the same as soon as steel hit ice.

When Wally was about 60 years old, he retired from the Fire Department, but he continued climbing and topping trees around the area until he was almost 70 years old! During this time he started playing golf and travelling.

After a few winters in Costa Rica, he started travelling to Thailand every winter, and he became a regular in Pattaya. He talked about the different guys that showed up every winter and played golf together 3 times a week! Wally knew how to have fun, and he always made friends quickly.

While he was an independent person, family and friends were important to him. He loved his children and grandchildren, and he really enjoyed the family gatherings. He always had a smile on his face and his easy-way was something that his family will always cherish.

Wally will be missed by many.

Wally did not want a service, so the family is hosting a Celebration of Life (technically, not a service) at the Town Centre Hotel in Powell River on Tuesday September 15th, in the Georgia Room from 4-6 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Powell River Minor Hockey Association.