Jeannette Kirkham Anderson
Oct. 28, 1927-Aug. 9, 2017
Palo Alto, California

Jeannette Kirkham Anderson was born in Stockton, California. She grew up in San Marino, California, graduating from Huntington Grammar School in San Marino and the University High School in Pasadena. She attended Pomona College, receiving a BA in Botany. Not finding an interesting job in Botany, she decided to get a teaching credential at Stanford Department of Education.

While at Stanford, she met Weston Anderson, who was working on a Ph.D. in Physics. They were married June 14, 1952. Jeannette taught 8th grade in Sunnyvale for two years while Weston finished his PhD. In the autumn of 1954, they went to Geneva, Switzerland, where Weston had a one year Post Doc job at CERN. Their son Joel was born in Geneva Switzerland.

In 1955, they returned to Palo Alto, where Weston took a job at Varian Associates. In 1959, their daughter Lucy was born. Jeannette devoted her time to being a fabulous mother and being a talented artist and potter. She taught pottery for 22 years to the adult handicapped for the Palo Alto Department of Education. She loved gardening, exercising in the pool at the YMCA, and was a much-loved friend. She was always concerned with the downtrodden, persecuted and handicapped. Jeannette enjoyed intellectual discussions and loved animals. She almost always had pets around, including dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, tortoises, guinea pigs and birds.

Jeannette was predeceased by her parents Stanley and Helen Arndt, brother Michael Arndt, and son-in-law Michael Jacob. She is survived by her husband Weston Anderson, son Joel Anderson and his wife Lila Anderson, daughter Lucy Jacob as well as her grandchildren Grace Anderson, Paul Jacob, Claire Jacob and great-grandson Parker, son of Grace Anderson.

Tags: teacher/educator