Anderson, William Ralph

   Another name for William is Anderson, Bill.

  Events

• Education: Allan Wilson School Salisbury, 1951-1956, Salisbury (Now Harare). Here he discovered a liking for technical matters and the art of carpentry which he retained as a hobby. He played field hockey and tennis instead of rugby because of the loss of a kidney at age fourteen. The enjoyment of the game of field hockey continued right through his stay in England, and tennis continues to be a core sport of his. He became a Prefect and a junior Officer in the school cadets which contributed to his understanding of leadership principles.

• BSc (Eng) Degree in Electrical: Engineering:Awarded by the University of London whilst attending a sandwich course of training by the then British Thompson Houston Company, 1958-1967, Rugby, United Kingdom. He entered the electrical power industry first in England then in Canada with Ontario Hydro starting in 1967. (This was Centennial year in Canada and his first year in his new adopted country - largely chosen for the opportunity of outdoor adventure.) He worked on distribution systems in England and on nuclear power station design in Ontario.
MBA Degree in business awarded by the University of Toronto on completion of the part time program in 1975 whilst working at Hydro. An interest in the business side of things developed and in 1980 till his retirement from hydro in 1993, he was Manager of various business units in Ontario Hydro.
Certified Financial Planner awarded by the Financial Planning Standards Institute in 1995 and licensed to carry out an investment and insurance business. From 1994 through to 2002 he established a financial planning practice in Assante with a strong emphasis on client service and relationships. A number of his old clients remained friends after his retirement from this second career.

• Historical. Entered the Scouting movement and with the family emphasis on camping, acquired a love for the outdoors and wildlife. He was a leader on numerous scouting camps and hikes, and continued with this lifestyle to this day. Whether it's cycling in summer or skiing in winter, the outdoors has always beckoned him especially when his wife, Karen joins him.
Family fishing trips started a lifelong competition with his father on who caught the first and biggest fish on many of his adult life fishing trips. He and his Father were the first shore Fisherman, after the five year moratorium, to catch Coho Salmon off the Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island in 2001. There was no agreement reached on who had the biggest fish after the two week stay. But, this was just an example of the lesson he learnt along the way - trusted friendships are the real winner in all these games we play.
His Mothers determination to enjoy life and her love of nature and art, were key to his adoption of these values. Once in Plettenberg Bay, while a teenager, his Mother announced the whole family was going for a walk on the rugged coast of the Roberg Nature Park. Even when we pointed out there was practically a gale storm raging outside, she was not deterred. That walk set the standard for his life in all areas of endevour. To this day, a walk in driving rain or snow is not out of the question, depending somewhat now, if there is Scotch to come back to!

William married Mary Birkett Dent, daughter of Thomas Dent and Mary Birkett, in 1965 in England. (Mary Birkett Dent was born on May 9, 1944 in Teesdale England.)

William next married Linda Karen Pedersen, daughter of Ivan Pedersen and Barbara Greenaway, on Aug 18, 1989 in Stouffville, Ontario Canada. (Linda Karen Pedersen was born on Mar 22, 1959 in Toronto Ontario Canada.)