Jody Anderson

Jody Anderson



Jody Anderson of Wickenburg, Arizona, passed away at home on September 22, 2018, with her husband and family by her side. She was 88 years old, and succumbed to heart failure.



Joanne Camille Shartle, always known as Jody, was the eldest of five children born in Troy, Ohio to John Adam and Geneva Shartle. She spent five cherished summers at Camp Merrie-Woode in North Carolina, attended Chatham Hall in Virginia, and Smith College. After her Smith graduation in 1953, Jody went to work at the A Bar A Ranch in Encampment, Wyoming, in the summers and at Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Arizona, in the winters. Jody learned to love riding horses, fly fishing, hiking, and enjoyed an active outdoor life on both ranches. She met Andy Anderson at the A Bar A Ranch, and they were married in Troy in 1959. Their marriage lasted 60 wonderful years.



Jody and Andy settled in Denver, Colorado in 1963. Jody was active in the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, in the choir, vestry and as a lay reader, served as a devoted precinct judge at every election, and raised her three daughters...exposing them to the outdoors through camping, hiking, skiing, fishing, tennis, gardening, and sports. She volunteered and worked in the Geology Department at the Denver Museum of Natural History for many years, and was a generous and spontaneous hostess to events at home for friends and families.



In 1972, Jody was recruited to join a newly-formed Masters Swim team in Denver, and not only re-discovered her love of swimming, but through the team, made many lifelong friends. During her years in Denver, Jody became engaged in fiber arts on a broad scale through weaving, spinning, and working with natural dyes. Weaving something for a friend was always an expression of her love.



Jody and Andy retired to their second home in Wickenburg in 1989, where they have become valued members of the community. Jody was a stalwart member of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, served on the vestry and as senior warden, and sang in the choir. She and Andy were early supporters of the Hassayampa River Preserve, and Jody participated in the annual Audubon Bird Count for many years. They have cultivated a broad and much-loved set of friends in Wickenburg and are proud to call it home.



Jody is survived by her husband of 60 years, Andy Anderson, her three daughters Sarah Anderson Sprague and son-in-law Ron Sprague of Pleasant Hill, Oregon, Betsy Anderson of Alexandria, Virginia, and Jane Anderson Curtis and son-in-law Bill Curtis of Houston, Texas, and her five grandchildren, Andy and Clarissa Sprague and Hannah, Lucy, and Peter Curtis. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her, but most keenly by her family.



A service for Jody will be held at St. Alban's Church in Wickenburg on October 27 at 3:00pm, with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Memorial Fund at St. Alban's Church will be gratefully received.