Alan "AI" R. Anderson, 59, of Wilmington, died Sunday morning at home following a long illness. The son of Arthur and Mary Anderson, he was born in Worcester, Mass., and grew up in Southbridge, Mass., where he graduated from high school. He also attended Northfield Mount Hermon School, Tufts University and Northeastern University. Before moving to Vermont in 1989, Anderson lived most of his adult life in the Worcester area working in a variety of fields. He did intelligence work for the U.S. Army in Korea from 1957 to 1960 and was an active member in church work, with 33 years at the United Congregational Church in Worcester, and the last seven years at St. Mary's-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church in Wilmington. In 1988 Mr. Anderson began plans for a 47-day walking journey from the northern Maine border to the southern Connecticut border. His purpose was to speak at churches about peace and justice issues with a faith perspective. His larger message was to invite others to their own life journey — out of faith, rather than out of the culture. On Jan. 1, 1989, Mr. Anderson began this shorter walking journey but it soon grew into a much longer one, becoming a full-time lay ministry called "FJP (faith, justice and peace) Ministry." In the five years, 1989 through 1993, he walked 7,000 miles (mostly to New England), hitchhiked 55,000 miles, and spoke publicly to tens of thousands of people across 12 denominations at 700 host churches and colleges. In 1994 Mr. Anderson began writing "Meeting God in the Breakdown Lane," which was published December 1995. This book, edited and published by his wife, Nancy, is a collection of more than 30 short stories describing his calling to ministry and his encounters with people during the first part of his journey. In addition to writing his book, Mr. Anderson continued to guest preach throughout New England - often in the Deerfield Valley churches. He also worked as a volunteer for the Deerfield Valley SHARE program and the Ecumenical Vision Committee. For the last five summers, he and his wife owned and operated a Massachusetts wild-blueberry distribution. Mr. Anderson leaves his second wile, the former Nancy Fournier, whom he married in October 1991. He also leaves his four daughters from his first marriage to Joan Joy of Holden, Mass. Their daughters are Kristina Butler of Athol, Mass., Kerstin Hertel of Fitchburg, Mass., Kara Gilmore of Pittsfield, Mass, and Kelleen Riley of Uxbridge, Mass.; a sister, Marjorie Smith of Tuscon, Ariz.; seven grandchildren; nephews and a niece; grandnephews, a grandniece, a great-grandniece; three stepdaughters; one step-grandchild; a foster step-daughter, and two foster step-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Wilmington at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10. The Rev. John C. Morris of St. Mary's-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church, assisted by other clergy, will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any of the following: Vermont Healing Tools (P.O. Box 1064, Brattleboro); The Guy Hawkins Fund (Deerfield Valley Health Center, Wilmington; and St. Mary's-in-the Mountains Episcopal Church (P.O. Box 1366, Wilmington).
The Brattleboro Reformer, 8 Aug 1996