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Lawrence Danforth Anderson
July 2, 1949 ~ March 10, 2019 (age 69) 69 Years Old
6 Flowers or Condolences have been shared with support of Lawrence's family - View on Tribute Wall
Lawrence Danforth Anderson, M.D. ("Larry") died in his home on March 10, 2019 after a nearly year-long battle with mesothelioma. He was 69 years old and had lived in Boise for the past 36 years practicing medicine as an ophthalmologist at his own Maple Grove Eye Clinic, Eagle Eye Surgery Center and St. Alphonsus Hospital.
Prior to moving to Boise in 1983, Larry grew up all over the world. He was born in Ann Arbor, MI on July 2, 1949 and traveled the world with his military family spending much of his childhood in post-war Japan and Germany, with stints in Carmel, CA and Northern Virginia. He earned an Eagle Scout and graduated from the American high school in Heidelberg, Germany and attended college at Vanderbilt University. Larry graduated from the University of Alabama Birmingham medical school and entered the US Army to fulfill his ROTC obligation and returned to Germany, where he served at Wharton Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany. Discharged from the army in 1980, Larry moved with his first wife, Barbara Syrdal (nee Burnell) back to Ann Arbor, where he completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Michigan. He and Barbara settled in Boise with their two sons, Nathan and Peter, in 1983 after Dr. Norman Hedemark, a golfing partner of his father-in-law mentioned over a round at Hillcrest Country Club that he was contemplating retirement. An introduction was made and the rest is history.
To his patients and medical colleagues Larry will be remembered as a dedicated, independent and hard-working doctor and small business owner. He nurtured numerous loyal relationships amongst his patients (some driving from as far away as the Jordan Valley for his services) and staff who will miss him dearly. To his family and friends he will best be remembered for the enduring curiosity and playfulness with which he set forth to discover the world. From numerous camping trips, hikes and climbs in Idaho to scuba diving in Palau or Fiji, Larry had a thirst for life and spirit of adventure. He was a Civil War buff and film nerd. He loved stand-up comedy, classic rock and crime novels. Behind the scenes he was an epic storyteller in his own right, spinning elaborate yarns in rich nightly multiverses such as "Nat and Piotr" and "Michael the Monkey".
Larry is survived by his sister Nancy Cabrera-Santos, 72, of Washington, DC, his sons, Nathan, 39, of Philadelphia, PA, Peter, 37, of Los Angeles, CA, and Josh, 25, of Boise, his grandchildren, Grete, 7, and Lukas, 3, also of Philadelphia and his significant other, Heather, 40, of Boise. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please make a donation in his name to the Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club.