Young at Any Age: A Life of Public Service - The Andersons

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By Debbie Cahill, AARP Oregon Volunteer

No one would say Lloyd and Pauline Anderson tip toe through life – or beyond it. Pragmatic and hardworking may be ways you could describe this couple – but they have something more. They’ve continually given back to help make our community and state a great place to live. At ages 91 and 92 respectively, they still have an interest in providing a service – and something a little extra: peace of mind to their family and friends when they can no longer be there to help out.

This time the service is less about the here and now, but being prepared for when one “goes to my reward.” They learned, after the death of his mother, of the myriad chores, responsibilities, sorting and cleaning that takes place without the benefit of the deceased wishes. Lloyd is changing that.

He has prepared a specific “to do” list for his family members, and he has shared that information with interested groups. Included is every agency or organization that should be notified of a death including Social Security, the Veteran’s Administration, banks, insurance companies (here he suggests listing every relevant company and policy numbers), the DMV, the Oregon Department of Revenue, the IRS, any relevant retirement system, and very importantly, the credit bureaus to request a “deceased alert” be added to the files of the deceased.

Perhaps it was the harshness of growing up in the 1930s, that brought out Lloyd’s sensible side. The stock market crash of 1929 and Great Depression hit Lloyd’s family pretty hard. Born in Spokane, there were several homes along the way until he landed in Sedro Woolley, Washington where he finished high school shortly after WWII broke out. He entered the Navy V-12 program, which provided the means for him to attend the University of Washington. He earned a degree in civil engineering and stopped roaming in 1951 when he moved to Portland.

Pauline is a native Portland and attended Washington High School, which is now the hipster event space, Revolution Hall. She studied biology at Linfield College in McMinnville then attended Stanford on a scholarship and stipend. She studied physical therapy, which became her career back in Portland.

They both married and started their families. Lloyd eventually served on the Portland City Council and flirted with the idea of running for Congress. His campaign didn’t get off the ground, however, as when he called the Portland of Portland Director to seek his support, he was instead offered the job. He served in this position for 13 years.

Pauline was a stay-at-home mom until her husband died in 1966. She worked as a physical therapist and attended PSU studying elementary education. She taught at Irvington Elementary and Portsmouth Middle School. They knew each other while still married to their spouses. In fact, both couples joined the same church on the same day. In 1981, Pauline became the first woman president of the City Club of Portland. She was asked by Sid Lesak who said, when Pauline agreed to serve as president, “You better be good!” City Club—didn’t admit women until the 1970s. She also served two terms on the Multnomah County Commission. Lloyd also served as president of the City Club several years after Pauline’s term.

Asked about the secret to longevity, Lloyd says it is important to do things that are productive. He has started a writing project that includes all 8 of their children. Pauline sings in the choir and reads in the schools. And while you have to face the inevitable physical aspects of aging, Lloyd says, “keep the stress down, move around a bit and keep your brain in gear.”

Young at Any Age is a collaborative project with the AARP Oregon Volunteer team of Carlos Romo, Steve Carter, Joyce DeMonnin, Sam Jones and Debbie Cahill. Send in suggestions to oraarp@aarp.org for outstanding Oregonians 50+ who prove that age is just a number. #DisruptAging #RealPossibilities

[Photo: Sam Jones]