Remembering John McCallum Anderson

Learning to swim and surf at an early age, John McCallum Anderson was also an accomplished snow and water skier. He even learned to slalom at the age of 55.

John, with his first wife Eleanor, showed great interest in the Masters swimming program. He set the national record for the 50-meter butterfly, 80-84 age group and was also honored by being in the "faces in the crowd" section of Sports Illustrated, Sept. 1983.

John remarried after Eleanor's death. Roberta Knapp and he tied the knot in March of 1986. In January of this year the two left Honolulu on a cruise of the South Pacific, including Australia where they saw the last two America's Cup races. John passed away on board ship on February 18 somewhere between Singapore and Hong Kong. He was buried at sea after the ship left Tahiti.

John will be missed by all. For many years he kept track of state pool records for the Humus, and was a great inspiration for swimmers of all ages, God Bless.

June 4, 1903 - February 28, 1987

Obituary from the Waikiki Swim Club newsletter April 1987

notes by Barbara Dunbar; John M Anderson was listed as All-American in 1983 and 1984 in the men 80-85 age group as swam for the Hawaiian club HUMU. He was listed as number one on the national Top Ten list in the 50-LCM fly in 1983 at age 80 with a time that set the men 80-84 national record. He was listed as number one again in the 50-yard fly in 1984 (age 80), an event that he won at the 1984 Short Course Yards National Championship at Industry Hills, Calif. There is a photograph of the All-American John Anderson (with glasses) taken at the USMS SCY Nationals at Industry Hills, Calif., in the July-Aug 1984 issue of Swim-Master.