Donald Ray Anderson

Donald Ray Anderson, of Norman, died Friday, June 10, 2022, at Norman Regional Hospital, surrounded by family and friends. He was 86. A funeral ceremony will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Temple Baptist Church in Shawnee with burial at Tecumseh Cemetery. Masks required please. Don was born on January 31, 1936, in Shawnee to Addie and Charles Emmett Anderson. Don graduated from Shawnee High School in 1955. On July 24, 1955, he married his high school sweetheart, Frances Kay Glenn. The couple was married for 66 years. While still in high school, he joined the Air National Guard. In January 1956, he joined the U.S. Air Force. After four years of service, he was discharged from active duty and went to work for the Oklahoma Air National Guard Will Rogers until his retirement in 1993. While working for the Air National Guard he was also a member of the guard and served on active duty in the Air Force when doing missions. Don was highly motivated and went from an 18-year-old airman to a chief master sergeant and advanced from an airplane mechanic to a flight engineer and instructor. During his career, he flew in and out of Vietnam carrying cargo. He also flew disaster missions delivering hurricane relief, aid to farmers during extreme weather and on drug-seeking missions in South America and Hawaii and many training missions around the world. Don was proud of his 37 years of service in the military. Don was also proud of his Potawatomi heritage and was a member of the Potawatomi Veterans Organization, often carrying the Air Force flag during ceremonies. His Potawatomi name is Wzawjigwe or Yellow Thunder. He was a man of strong faith and lived it through example. He never missed church services unless he was on an Air Force mission. Following his retirement, he and Kay bought an RV and traveled the country from coast to coast. Some of their favorite trips were to Alaska and across Canada, revisiting the base in Newfoundland where he served in 1958-59. The couple also flew to Hawaii and Ireland. Don was a family man and loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, attending family reunions and gathering groups to go camping, fishing or having a cookout. His family meant everything to him, and he was always there to help anyone who needed help with car repair, moving or whatever the need. He is survived by his wife, Kay, son, Andrew, son, David Scott and wife Colleen, daughter, Elaine Warner and husband Chester, and daughter, Kristi Holderbaum and husband Mark; grandchildren, Nelson Anderson, Kayla Warner, and Alison Holderbaum; brother-in-law, Dan Glenn and wife Sherry; sisters-in-law, Jane Cannon and Terry Glenn, and brother, Orville Anderson and wife Linda, nieces and nephews and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Charles and Jim Anderson and brother-in-law, Darrell Glenn. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Temple Baptist Church, Shawnee, OK or Food and Shelter Inc, 201 Reed Ave. in Norman, OK or the charity of your choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Walker Funeral & Cremation Service in Shawnee.