George Anderson

The SCC Terry Anderson Memorial fund was established by Diane and George Anderson in memory of their son, Terry, who taught English composition at Sacramento City College and passed away in 2003. The scholarship supports Sacramento City College students who have an interest in creative writing.

In September 2020, Diane Anderson passed away after a long battle with breast cancer. Gifts were made to the Terry Anderson Memorial Fund in Diane’s memory. The scholarship is thus an important way that the Anderson family is honoring the memory of both Terry and Diane.

Terence Miles “Terry” Anderson, October 2, 1962 to January 20, 2003. Terence “Terry” to his family and friends, passed away on Monday, January 20, 2003, in Sacramento with his wife and parents at his side. Born in Soldotna, Alaska, on October 2, 1962, Terry and his family moved to Dixon 1967 where he attended school graduating from Dixon High School in 1980. He received his BA in Psychology from St. Mary’s College in Moraga in 1984 and his Master’s Degree in English Literature from California State University, Sacramento, in 1999. Terry, son of George and Diane Anderson, was raised on the Anderson family farm in Dixon and married his long time sweetheart Jeanie Barr there on September 29, 2001. Terry is remembered in grade school for his outstanding ability as an immerging writer, regularly winning the weekly fourth grade creative writing competition and for successfully correcting the Encyclopedia Britannica’s article on the building of the pyramids in Egypt. In high school he excelled as a distance runner and pole-vaulter, as a musician, and as an actor. Cast first in supporting roles in the musical productions of South Pacific, Oklahoma, and Mame, Terry starred in the productions of The Apple Tree and The Great All-American Musical Disaster. In dramatic productions, he was cast in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, co-starred in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and starred as “Hawkeye Pierce” Terry’s favorite role, in M* A *S*H. At St. Mary’s College Terry continued to participate in theatre as the production manager of Equis, and with the role of “Cleante” in Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid. Terry’s passion for music continued throughout his life and as lead singer, song writer, guitarist, and originator of several bands. Among the many artists he admired were Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and U2. In 1995 Terry turned his focus toward formal scholarly pursuits and to his work as a writer. Concentrating on his love of twentieth­century American authors, Terry wrote his Master’s thesis entitled Ernest Hemingway’s “Developing Late Hero in the Major Novels.” As a graduate student at CSUS, he was nominated for the Fulbright Scholarship with the submission of his proposal for study abroad, completing his advanced degree, he began his career as a college teacher. Under the auspices of the Los Rios Community College District, Terry taught English composition at the University of California’s Davis campus and full time schedule of classes at the Sacramento City College campus. He also taught composition classes at MTI in Sacramento. His most recent publication, “The Children’s Network: An Enduring History”, was completed in the summer of 2002. Terry’s love for his wife Jeanie, for his family, his friends, his work, his students, and his home in Land Park was matched only by his love for his and Jeanie’s special cats. A man of many gifts, his gentle nature and generous spirit were the hallmarks of his life and are his legacy to those who knew and loved him. Sacramento City College has initiated a scholarship for students of English Literature.