Gregg Robert Anderson

Gregg R. Anderson, 76, of Tucson, Arizona, passed away peacefully on April 16, 2024 after a nearly two-year long battle with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, with his devoted wife of 48 years, Shari Anderson, by his side.

Gregg, fondly known by many nicknames (G3, Anderson, Rhino Man, Maestro G, and most importantly as his grandpa name “Dudad”), was born to Robert and Fern Anderson on February 24, 1948 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Coming from humble beginnings, his first bedroom an apartment closet, and his first bed a dresser drawer, Gregg spent much of his youth growing up in Edina, MN, with his brother, Ron, and sister, Debby. As luck would have it, Gregg also met his lifelong friend, Steve, the summer before first grade, and they enjoyed many adventures and engaged in much tomfoolery spanning the course of seven decades.

A car lover through and through, Gregg amassed quite the collection of vehicles throughout the years. With this interest, he also gained like-minded friends who would gather to tinker with, repair, and simply show off their rides. Some of these friends included Virgil, Bill, and several others. The memories shared about this crew over the years were endless and cherished. Gregg would eventually share his love for cars and restoration with his son, Robert, and they lovingly restored a 1967 GTO together when Robert was in high school. The car was Robert’s, but the steering wheel was Gregg’s that he had held on to from the 1965 GTO driven during his college years at the University of Minnesota.

In school, Gregg studied geology, and later landed a job with Amoco in Houston, Texas. During his professional career, he formed bonds with colleagues that evolved into very close family friends that remain in touch to this day. Early on, in the summer of 1974, he met his future wife, Shari, who was working as a summer intern. He was instantly taken with her intelligence, beauty, and pleasant and bubbly personality, but unfortunately, she had a boyfriend at the time. The two eventually met up again the following summer, no more boyfriend in-tow, and started meeting for lunch several times a week. By the time he worked up the courage to kiss her for the first time, he recalled seeing fireworks in his head, and he knew this girl was something special. After four months of dating, they were engaged then married on January 3, 1976.

Gregg and Shari had two children, Robert and Kari, and spent over 30 years raising their family and living in Houston, Texas. During this time, Gregg worked hard to provide a wonderful, safe, and loving environment for his family. He enjoyed spending time with his family and was always there to serve as a guiding light in his children’s lives. He had an innate ability to make others smile, and his presence, wit, and humor will be greatly missed and the memories with him will be treasured forever.

Aside from his love for his family and antique cars, Gregg was passionate about giving back. He routinely made donations to the University of Minnesota’s Memory Care Program after witnessing his stepmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. He also had a big heart for animal rescue and adopted several homeless dogs, as well as made monetary donations to animal rescue groups.

Gregg is survived by his wife, Shari, and two adult children, Robert and Kari, and their respective spouses, Dezirae and Chance. He is also survived by his brother, Ron (wife Lu), and his sister, Debby (husband Max), sister-in-law, Jana, along with his grandchildren, Aven, Mara, Douglas, Braelyn, and Mathias. Gregg was predeceased by his parents, Bob and Fern, and his stepmother, Marie.

Instead of a funeral service, Gregg’s family will host a Celebration of Life in Tucson, Arizona at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to MD Anderson Cancer Center. The family requests that you ask for your donation to be allocated specifically to Glioblastoma research in memory of Gregg. Contributions can be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486 or www.mdanderson.org/gifts .