Robin Larry Anderson

Anderson, Robin L. ( the Rock) On July 27, 2026, a devoted husband and family man whose heart always belonged first to God passed away at the age of 78 after a 7 year courageous stand off with cancer which never defined him nor was it able to steal away his absolute joy and peace for living. He was the only son born March 23, 1948 to Robert H. and A. Lucille Anderson and was lucky enough to have 3 beautiful sisters. Robin grew up spending long summer weeks at Big Turtle Lake in Bemidji with extended family and his maternal grandparents; a child's dream! He graduated from Mounds View high school and then attended the U of M for 2 years before being drafted into the US Army in Jan. of 1969 while the Vietnam war raged on. He became an M.P. and then a sentry dog handler with Lothar, his beloved comrade (a military war dog). He had a secret clearance as part of the Army Air Defense Command to defend LA against possible Soviet attack. He and Lothar provided night security for a Hercules Nike missile site embedded in the Santa Monica Mountains. He was honorably discharged from the Army in Jan. of 1971 and was always proud of his military service despite the scorn from the public over the war. Perhaps it was his partner Lothar that gave Robin a special love for dogs and he was never without a dog by his side. He adopted Chief, a Marine Corp dog after Chief served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and had a thermal injury and later Carl who was discharged from TSA training due to physical impairments. He loved them all from the "Tarbabies" of his childhood to Honey, our first dog, to Chief and Carl and all the dogs in between. After his military service in June of 1971 he met Joey (Joyce Monson) and fell madly in love. They were engaged in August and married in Feb of 1972 and never looked back. He went back to the U to finish his degree in psychology and then earned a nursing degree and an MS in psych mental health nursing. His entire career was spent in leadership and trying to improve the health of those afflicted with mental health disease. He was an extraordinary man of character and compassion for the mentally ill. He also taught mental health nursing all the while working full time in administration. Robin was the father of five beloved precious children and he continued to love them well all of his life. He was interested and active with his children's sports and extracurricular activities and often coached or helped coach their sports. His passion was fishing, especially with his family up at our family cabin. ALL of his grandkids have embraced their grandpa's love for fishing, especially those early morning trips where there was often bidding the night before for who would get to go in grandpa's boat. There was always an ongoing bet for first, most, and biggest fish but to this day, I believe no one has paid up or kept an honest score. After retirement and despite a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, Robin and Joey proudly visited and hiked 60 of the 63 national parks crisscrossing the U.S. many times and always with their dog. This past year Robin fought so hard to get better to get back in the saddle but it was not to be. He will forever be missed more than words can describe or hearts can bear by his loving wife and sweetheart, Joey, his beloved service dog, Carl and his children, Robin J. (Jimin) Anderson, Gabrial (Lissette) Anderson, Dr Jessica Carlson (Darren), Genna Anderson, Seth (Dr. Mary) Anderson, Foreign Exchange Student daughter Rui Huang and grandkids Owen, Benett, Noah, Caleb Carlson, Wilford, Jacob, Lily, Bodie, and Asher Anderson. He is also survived by sisters Kristine (Thomas) Sopoci, Penelope Stevens (Jon Jui), Dr Darcy (Thomas) Atterbury, many dearest-best friends, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by parents Robert and Lucille Anderson and in-laws Wilford and Lorraine Monson and sister in law Cindy Monson. Funeral services will be August 18th at Constance Evangelical Free Church, 16150 Crosstown Blvd.N.W., Andover, MN, with visitation at 3pm followed by services at 4pm and supper to follow. Military Honor Burial on August 19th at 11:00 at Fort Snelling Cemetery. Arrangements by Washburn- McReavy Coon Rapids Chapel

Robin Larry Anderson

March 23, 1948 - July 27, 2026

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