Stephenson Avenue Park renamed in honor of the late Councilman Bob Anderson
Stephenson Avenue Park, a small but popular park on Stephenson Ave. near 74th Street in LaSalle will be renamed in honor of the late Robert “Bob” Anderson, Jr., a longtime resident of Niagara Falls who died last year after a brief bout with cancer.
Anderson lived near the park for many years and up until the time of his death.
Anderson was elected Councilman on November 6,2003.
The Park Dedication ceremony will take place on: Friday, September 2nd at 1:30pm (Stephenson Avenue Park between 73rd & 74th street)
Anderson, born June 5 1942, spent much of his adult life in the US military. In 1960, he joined the US Air Force. He was 18.
Stationed in Italy, Greece, Germany, Spain, the Philippines, Lowry, Colo., and Niagara Falls, Anderson was awarded the US Air Force Meritorious Service medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, The Air Force Good Conduct Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon, the Air Force Longevity Service Award ribbon with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the NCO Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon with one Oak Leaf Cluster.
After Anderson retired from the military, he developed the Bradford House restaurants for W.T Grant Stores. He also worked for 14 years for the Niagara Falls Board of Education.
In 1991, Anderson’s stepdaughter Bernadette was beaten into a coma by her husband Patrick Guiteau. Anderson and his wife built an addition to their modest home in LaSalle and kept their daughter at home and nursed her for 21 years until she died in 2012. Anderson took in her three small children, Erin, Alexandria and Patrick, and raised them as his own.
In 2013, The Niagara Falls Reporter reviewed records that showed that, while Anderson served as a councilman, he donated $74,000 to charity, more than 60 percent of his entire council salary.
At the time of his death in November 2015, he was completing his last term as councilman.
He was 73.
