Mary Jean Anderson - Obituary

ary Jean Anderson, age 90, died Sunday, January 21, 2018 at Ginger Cove in Annapolis, Maryland. She was born March 21, 1927 in Mankato, Minnesota to George E. Moses and Louise Esther (Borchert) Moses. Mary Jean graduated from Mankato State Teachers College in 1950 and taught for a year before marrying Lt. Lyle S. (Andy) Anderson. They soon moved to Fort Devens, Massachusetts where Andy was stationed with the Army Security Agency. She began her world travels as an army wife with Andy's next assignment to Kyoto, Japan. Future assignments included Vint Hill Farm Station, Fort George G. Meade, Vincenzo, Frankfurt, Paris, and Stuttgart. Mary Jean and Andy settled in Laurel, Maryland after Andy's retirement in 1968. After Andy's sudden death in 1969, she went to work at NSA where she met Robert Tracy. Their shared love of travel took them sailing down the Intracoastal Waterway, along the fjords of Norway, and around the Greek isles as well as to the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Ireland. Their love of big band music and dancing took them to concerts and dance floors near and far. The third "man" in Mary Jean's life was her beloved Bichon-Frise, Rascal, who more than lived up to his name. Before moving to Ginger Cove in 2009, Mary Jean lived in Crofton and Heritage Harbor. She was an award-winning member of the Garden Club, a Red Hatter, an avidly social bridge player, and a regular at water aerobics (a curious past time for someone who couldn't swim). As a two-time breast cancer survivor, she was passionate about her volunteer work with Reach for Recovery. Always one to try something new, at Ginger Cove she dabbled at Mahjong. She also became a regular attendee of the Wednesday Episcopal service. Mary Jean will be lovingly remembered by her children Marie (husband Glenn) and Tom (wife Sandi), her grandchildren Alexandra, Andy, Patrick, and Christopher, and her brother George (wife Barbara). A celebration of her life will be held at Ginger Cove Thursday, January 22, 2018 at 2:00pm. She will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery later this year. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Colon Cancer Alliance or the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Known by family and friends for her sweet smile, strong will, and keen bargaining tactics, she will be most vividly remembered for her belief that life was "great, grand and glorious!"