Richard Anderson

ANDERSON Richard T. Anderson of Jacksonville, Florida died December 8, 2025 following a sudden and brief illness.
Richard was born to Louise and Tom Anderson in Lexington, Kentucky. He later moved with his family to Farmville, NC where he graduated high school and played in his first band, TheDownbeats. That group reunited in 2019 to play at their high school class's 50th reunion and an additional benefit concert to support the H.B. Sugg Community Center in Farmville.

Richard attended the University of Kentucky, for whom he remained a passionate fan for life. He graduated from Transylvania University and its renowned music program. His first job was as a traveling band instructor for all the schools in a small Kentucky school district. He then became the instrumental music director at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia.

In 1979 Richard moved to Jacksonville to revive the band program at The Bolles School. He grew that program from a handful of students into a Symphonic Band on two campuses. He also worked many summers at Camp Sea Gull in North Carolina and Camp Becket in Massachusetts.

Richard served as Resident Dean of the boarding program before beginning his longest-tenured role at Bolles, the Head of Bartram Campus and the Middle School. Richard shepherded more than 4,000 students through their early teen years and oversaw growth in both the enrollment and the campus.

Upon retiring, Richard sold his house and bought an RV. He took a year-long trip starting across the lower US until he reached the Nevada California border. He then turned east and north for his favorite part of the trip through the many national parks in Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. For the rest of his life he displayed many of his photographs of these parks in his home.

Richard was an avid viewer of many sports, especially football and basketball. When it came to UK basketball he would record the game. The next morning he would check the score and if the Wildcats had won he would view the game. He did not like watching games where they lost.

An avid sailor, Richard owned a sloop for many years and enjoyed trips with friends, whom he also pressed into service to crew for him.

After retiring, Richard volunteered at the Jacksonville Humane Society. For more than 30 years Richard traveled with a group of friends who stayed in the mountains of North Georgia each summer. He hiked the Toccoa Falls Gorge, rented boats to take out on the many lakes, and completed every winery tour and tasting in the area. As much as he liked the activities, his favorite part of each trip was time spent on the porch reading, viewing the vista, and visiting.

Richard is predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his brother Harry Anderson and wife, Jill, of Springfield, MO and his sister Rosemary Anderson McDonald of Raleigh. He is also survived by a nephew, Tom, two nieces, Brenda and Allie, and a grandnephew Nicholas along with many friends from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Jacksonville. There will be a private family memorial at a future date. In Richard's memory donations may be made to Camp Sea Gull, c/o YMCA of the Triangle, 801 Corporate Center Dr. Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27607 or to the Jacksonville Humane Society, 8464 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32216.

Arrangements by Naugle Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1203 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL, 32207, 904-396-1611