Thomas Anderson
Thomas E. Anderson
June 17, 1943 – January 9, 2023
Thomas E. Anderson, 79, passed away on January 9 in his home surrounded by his loving wife and daughters after a courageous battle with mesothelioma.
Tom was born June 17, 1943 in St. Louis, MO to C. Arthur and Dorothy Johnson Anderson, who preceded him in death, along with his brothers, Donald, David, Robert, and Roger, and his infant son, Michael.
He graduated from Mehlville High School in 1962, went to University of Missouri, and earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Louis University’s School of Commerce in 1970.
He worked at N.L. Industries in St. Louis and, in 1977, moved his family to Bucks County, PA to continue his career. In 1982, he and his family moved to Fort Wayne, IN, where he spent 30 years as plant manager of Silberline Manufacturing at its facility in Decatur, IN. After retiring in 2011, he moved back to St. Louis to be near family and his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.
He is survived by wife, Carole Imboden Anderson. He was a loving and dedicated father of Christine Amidon (Jim), Laura Anderson, and Susie Anderson-Bauer (Matt). His beloved grandchildren, Samantha Amidon (Manas Agnihotri) and Elliott Bauer, brought him great joy, laughter, and pride. He is also survived by his brother, Charles Anderson, and sister, Mary Phelps.
Tom was known for his intense and unwavering love of family, his great kindness, and his wonderful sense of humor—which he had right up until his last breath. He was a devoted St. Louis Cardinals fan, history buff, woodworker, gardener, and loved traveling and spending time with his grandchildren.
Online condolences may be shared at https://stlouiscremation.com/obituary-listings/.
Memorial donations may be made to Siteman Cancer Center online or by mail to 7425 Forsyth Blvd., MSC 1247-414-2100, St. Louis, MO 63105.
May all who loved him be grateful for his beautiful presence in this world, and his lasting legacy. And May all be surrounded with live & peace on the grief journey.
Tom’s devotion to his Wife, Daughters and Family was a true joy to behold. His sense of humor and patience was always there. The twinkle in his eyes and his laugh was priceless. He was definitely one in a billion. Love and Hugs to ALL his Family, they did an excellent job caring for him at home.
I worked with Tom at Silberline and I’ll always remember his gentle demeanor and sense of humor. He was a good man.
I worked with Tom for many years through Silberline. I considered him a friend and will miss him. God bless him. Our sympathy and love to Carole, his daughters and their families.
I worked with Tom at Silberline for many years. Sorry to hear of his passing.
Carole and the entire Anderson Family. Please accept my deepest condolences for your loss. While living in PA, I worked with Tom at Silberline for more than 25 years. Tom was a man of high integrity and compassion with a unique sense of humor and leadership abilities. He was gracious and brought people together. Tom made every experience better. We all looked forward to traveling to Decatur for business and to spend time with Tom. He will surely be missed by many, but has left a remarkable legacy.
God Bless,
Joe
There is not enough space here to write Tom’s attributes, but I will say “ trust and commitment “ were two of those .
I could count on him . Not many in this world hold those consistently. He did.
He was a mentor and a friend.
Carole and Family please know we are praying for you all .
Curt Alspaugh
Carole and Family please accept April and I’s deepest condolences. In my 24 years working with Tom at Silberline he taught me many things that I still follow today in both my professional and personal life. His integrity, honesty, love of family, and caring for other’s is unmatched. I could not have picked a better person to begin my career working with. His many stories and dry sense of humor are unmatched, making every day an experience. He always teased me about being the fastest person to learn how to sign a check for a business dinner.
Our thoughts and prayers will be with you in the coming days and the future, God Bless.
Chris and April
My deepest condolences to Carole and the entire family. I worked briefly with Tom at Silberline, but the bond between him and my father made him a cherished family friend for most of my life. Tom’s sense of humor and his endless stories made being with him a joy. I’m sure Tom and my dad are having a great time being together again.
My deepest sympathy to Carole and family. Worked with Tom for many years at Silberline in Decatur. We were very fortunate to have Tom as our Plant Manager. Loved talking baseball with Tom, especially his stories about the Cardinals.
Carole, my deepest condolences to you and the entire family. Tom and I had a special relationship, and Hazel and I considered you both very special friends.
It made my job significantly easier knowing Tom was in charge at the Decatur plant.
Tom and I managed to stay in touch through the years. I am going to miss our annual Birthday calls!
Tony and Laura
While I only shook hands once with Thomas as my new neighbor in the Saint Louis Hills neighborhood, I knew that if he had been been in greater health, we would have been great friends and neighbors. I sure would have liked to have heard more stories and cook some smoked meat out on the patio with him. God rest your soul Thomas!
Tom was my fraternity brother (Phi Delta Theta) at Mizzou. I lost touch with him after college. He was a great guy and good friend. One thing we had in common was that his father and my grandfather served together as Members of Congress from Missouri.