James Edward Anderson was born February 22, 1933 in New Brunswick, New Jersey to Francis Leitinger and Edward Anderson. He was the third child, his older sister Rita Anderson Calhoun, and his twin sister Joan Anderson. The family lived in Lincoln Park, New Jersey until Jim was 16 years old. After getting his drivers license, his mom and dad drove him to Shenandoah Valley Academy to start his senior year of high school in New Market, Virginia, where he graduated in 1950.

After graduating high school, he started his college education at Washington Missionary in Tacoma Park, Maryland. He met Jean, his first wife, and they relocated to Lincoln Nebraska to attend Union College. During school, he worked as a carpenter to support his family and pay tuition while he attended school. They welcomed John Edward Anderson on March 23, 1953. Later, June Donna Anderson was born December 13, 1955. Jim finished his ministerial degree in the spring of 1956.

The family then relocated to Texas, where they lived in several areas while Jim pastored and started building churches for the conference. He built churches in Dallas, Terrell and Fort Worth. He then began to realize he wanted to have a career change, and began taking prerequisites to get into medical school. He applied to Loma Linda University, and at first did not get in. He continued to work towards admission; when he received a call that there was a spot open, if he could get there Monday to begin courses.

He preached his last sermon in Fort Worth, telling the congregation that this would be his last sermon. He was leaving to begin medical school. He jumped on a flight to Los Angeles International Airport.

When he arrived, he didn't have a car and it was more than an hour to Loma Linda. He went to one of the airport hangars and got a helicopter to fly him to Loma Linda, where he started medical school in the fall of 1961. While in medical school, he hung doors to pay his tuition and support his family.

After graduating in the Summer of 1965, he started his internship at Washington Adventist Hospital in Tacoma Park, Maryland. He then did his OBGYN residency at George Washington Hospital in Washington, DC. He completed his residency in 1968 and opened his private practice in Vienna, Virginia.

In 1990, he added a new partner to his practice, Denita Faye Speyer, MD. Their relationship started as colleagues, and with time, blossomed into true love. He married Denita, the love of his life, on March 16, 2008.

Jim liked to celebrate their anniversary monthly instead of yearly, saying, “there would never be enough anniversaries to celebrate marrying his doll.”

Jim officially retired in February of 2003.

Denita took over the practice with a new partner, and Jim continued to work in the office doing accounting and helping to run the business. In 2023, Denita closed her practice and she and Jim moved to Keller, Texas.

At the age of 90, he drove a trailer packed full with their golden retriever Bailey in the back seat. It was always Jim’s dream to move back to Texas, and he enjoyed his time here. Jim passed away peacefully on August 23rd, 2025, at the age of 92, surrounded by his family and the love of his life, in his home. He is survived by his wife, Denita Speyer, his daughter, June Anderson-Bendall, and son in law Kenneth Bendall, his daughter in law, Aleteia Almeada Anderson, his grandchildren, April Anderson, Jason Anderson, May Anderson, June Gooch, Jonathan Anderson, Alicia Anderson and Ariana Anderson, his great grandchildren, Madison Gooch, Mason Gooch, Meghan Gooch, Michael Gooch, Elsie Anderson, Lucy Anderson and James Edward Anderson. 

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