When it came to his community, there wasn’t much that Skip Anderson wasn’t involved in. He’d been everything from an elf to a coach, touching the lives of many and always giving 100 percent to everything he did.
For more than 30 years, the parents of children in his neighborhood would buy and give presents to Anderson, and with the help of a neighbor, he would deliver the presents on Christmas Eve as one of Santa’s elves. It was something the children of the neighborhood always looked forward to, and some still remember him today as “Mr. Skip, the elf,” said his wife, Terry Anderson.
“He would drive around to different houses and they’d bring gifts to children,” she said. “There were a couple kids with Down syndrome, and they were always his favorite houses to go to. That was one thing he absolutely loved doing.”
He also coached several local baseball and softball teams for both his own children and other children in the community, always placing more emphasis on the happiness of his team than the wins under his belt.
“He gave every child a chance,” his wife said. “He didn’t care so much if they won, but he made sure he was giving every child the chance to play.”
Skip Anderson, of Snellville, died Dec. 20 from an infection following an earlier hernia surgery at Emory University Hospital. He was 61. His body was cremated by Eternal Hills Funeral Home and Cremation in Snellville, which is handling the arrangements. A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Snellville United Methodist Church.
Anderson was a dedicated member of more than 30 years at Snellville United Methodist, where he taught adult and youth Sunday school classes. He also served as a member and chairman of the church’s administrative board and other committees, and he was always committing himself to something, said Eric Garner, a longtime friend and member of his men’s small bible study group.
“He took on tremendous commitments, many of which took a lot of time,” he said. “And he always did it without thinking. He was just the type to agree to it.”
Many of the people in his Sunday school classes said they looked forward to going to church “because of him” and because he “made everything fun,” Terry Anderson said.
Although Anderson loved being involved with others, nothing could compare to his love for his own family and grandchildren. He loved spending time with his grandson, and everything they did turned into what they called “Papa Skip’s adventures.”
“He loved doing things with his grandson, and anything could be turned into an adventure,” she said. “He was a wonderful person and everybody who knew him loved him.”
In addition to his wife, Anderson is survived by two daughters, Whitney McMullan of Athens and Kaitlyn Leonard of St. Augustine, Fla.; one son, Matthew Anderson of Marietta, and three grandchildren.
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