William R. Anderson

Former Hastings resident William R. Anderson, 86, passed away Monday, February 24, 2025, in Omaha, NE of brain cancer. 

Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday, March 3, at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings with Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett officiating. The burial will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. The family requests Husker attire be worn to the service in honor of William. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to the Grace Foundation or Hastings College. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to William’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. 

William was born September 5, 1938, in Hastings, NE to Vern and Golden (Rule) Anderson. He graduated from Hastings High School in 1956, attended the University of California in Berkeley, graduated from Hastings College in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree, and Clark University in Worcester, MA in 1963 with his master’s degree. William married Judith K. Daniels in Hastings, NE in June of 1961; to this union a daughter, Kimberly, was born in 1963.

William was employed by Colorado Academy in Denver, CO from 1963 to 1966, and Denver University from 1966 to 1967. He managed a travel agency in Newport Beach, CA for a year in 1968. A son, Lance Anderson, was born in 1968 in Newport Beach, CA. In May of 1968, William returned to Hastings and joined the Western Land Roller Co. He was employed by Western Land Roller as a Regional Sales Manager, Distributor Sales Manager, and then Farm Equipment Product Manager. William also served on the company Board of Directors. The company was sold to Ingersoll-Rand in 1977, and the farm equipment manufacturing ceased in 1980.

William became a pilot in 1969 and flew numerous aircraft for business purposes, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours. He owned and managed Hastings Skyways, the FBO for Hastings Airport from 1980 to 1984. Selling the flight business in 1984, he worked for several companies as a manufacturer’s representative for Nebraska, Colorado, and South Dakota. 

His wife, Judith K. Anderson, passed away in 1986. In 1993, he moved to Omaha and William went into the investment and insurance business. He married Judith A. McLaughlin of Omaha in 2003. He retired from active business in 2003 but maintained farming and investment interests. 

William was a lifelong skier, pilot, and sports participant and follower. A longtime Husker season ticket holder, he attended hundreds of Husker games. He was a member of the Hastings Airport Authority and several charitable organizations. William was a longtime member of Lochland Country Club in Hastings, Happy Hollow Club in Omaha, and First Presbyterian Church in Hastings. He loved sports cars as well as airplanes and had been driving the latest Corvettes from 1997 until the time of his death. 

William was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Judith K. Anderson; and brother, Don Anderson.

SURVIVORS:
Wife: 
    Judith A. Anderson
Daughter: 
    Kim Hermann (Gaylon)
Son: 
    Lance Anderson
Step-Daughters: 
    Donna Wilcox (Joel)
    Laura Hunt
Step-Sons: 
    Shane McLaughlin (Jenny)
    Phil McLaughlin (Lori)
Grandchildren: 
    Jeff Hermann (Ashley)
    Walker Hermann
    Luke McLaughlin & Ashlee Denny
    Tony & Molly Cavalieri
    Logan McLaughlin
    Connor Wilcox
    Collin Wilcox
    Morgan McLaughlin & Bryant Jeary
    Keagan McLaughlin
    Nate Hunt
Great-Grandchildren: 
    Tenley Hermann
    Owen Hermann
    Lainey Hermann
Step-Great-Grandchild: 
    One on the way
Many Nieces, Nephews, Sisters-in-law, and Brothers-in-law