John David Anderson Jr., 53, of Wellington, Florida died on January 19th 2017. John passed away at West Palm Beach VAMC after a long battle with ALS. (Lou Gehrig's Disease) His loving wife Linda, spitfire daughter Miranda, Sister Joy Anderson of New Orleans, Louisiana and nieces Catie and Cassidy Anderson survive him. John Anderson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana May 18, 1963. He attended a small Catholic School with a graduating class of only 13. After graduation, he worked for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office until enlisting in the United States Marine Corps to serve his country. He left the Marine Corps as a Corporal in 1987 to begin a new life of service with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, West Palm Beach, Florida. Over the past 26 years at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, John worked the streets as a road deputy, held the position of K9 officer and was later recruited to join the S.W.A.T Team as well as the Tactical team. John earned the position of Corporal as Field Training Officer assigned to the training division where he was entrusted to keep the nearly 2000 deputies current in all aspects of law enforcement and to give them the tools to stay safe as they serve the public in potentially dangerous situations daily. In 1999, he returned to the service of United States Marine Corps as a reservist with the 4th Anglico in West Palm Beach. He was promoted to Sergeant just prior to leaving the Marine Corps to begin a family. John's loving wife Linda Anderson also works for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. They have one child, Miranda who was born in July 2005. Miranda is a very active and enthusiastic 11 year old that participates in many organized sports activities with her favorite being baseball. Like her father, she is a ravenous professional sports fan who loves the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Braves. In 2010, John was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis. This crippling disease can strike anyone. Presently there is no known cure for the disease but with the passing of John Anderson, it is the hope of the family to draw attention and support to those who have also lost the heroic battle with ALS and for those who continue to fight. In lieu of flowers, Linda and Miranda would like you to make a donation to the ALS Association at www.ALSA.org A visitation will be held at St Peter's United Methodist Church on Thursday, January 26, 207 from 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM. A service will begin at 12:00 PM. Burial with military honors will take place at South Florida National Cemetery following the service.
