On Saturday morning, February 8th, 2020, Gladys “Nina”Anderson, loving mother sister, Grandmother, aunt, and Nana, peacefully passed away at the age of 88 at her home in Santa Ynez, CA.
Gladys was born April 13, 1931 in Santa Barbara, second child to Ben and Isabel Lopez. She graduated from La Cumbre Junior High, at 17 graduated from Santa Barbara High School and continued her education at Santa Barbara Business School. She fell in love with the tall red headed sailor down the road, John “Jack”Anderson. They were married on Christmas Eve 1949. Daughter Cheryl was born before her dad went overseas during the Korean Conflict. The day after Christmas two years later their son Eric was born.
When you met Nina, you knew she was a passionate person with a strong sense of family and unmatched integrity. She was a tenacious worker and a dedicated employee. She moved to Eureka, Montana in 1979, for nine years, to be closer to her kids. She loved it so much she built a second home there and traveled back and forth. She ended her work career retiring from AMR Ambulance in Buellton.
When she was young, she loved sports and played women’s softball for the “Alley Cats”. Through her life she put many an hour in bleachers cheering three generations of her “all-star”athletes! She was game for almost anything from dressing out a deer to dressing her girls in Easter dresses! She was talented and did fine needle work. She was a good cook, but always claimed the best thing she made were “reservations”. Loved to go out and eat!
She was a proud Chumash matriarch that shared her strength and love. Family meant the world to her, but you didn’t have to be her blood to be her family. She did expect you to mind, be respectful, and work hard.
She was proceeded in death by an infant sister, her parents, her brother Arthur Lopez and his son Michael John Lopez. Survived by children Cheryl & David Clarke, Eric & Page Anderson. Also survived by her sister Josephine Thorbjornson.
Grandchildren Murph & Kelly Clarke, Shannon & Jason Truman, Michael & Lindsay Clarke, Ben & Mary Anderson, Deborah & Pete Schlehr, Jamison & Tara Mullen, and the Justin & Courtney Mullen.
Her Greatgrands Leina, Kelsy, Django, Allison, Cole, Cooper, and Chase. And on the East Coast Lily, Jane, Clara, Cecilia, Gabriel, Jamison Jr, Quinn, and Carlin. She was very close to all her nieces and nephews and felt blessed to live a house away from David and Maria Lopez.
Gladys was a little lady with a big heart filled with endless love for her family and friends.
A service to celebrate her life will be held Saturday March 7th 10:00 am at Loper Chapel, Ballard, CA.
Loper Funeral Chapel, Directors.
