Elizabeth Olson Anderson

Elizabeth Anderson, 77, of St. Petersburg passed away after a long illness on July 30, 2021. Born in Wisconsin, Elizabeth grew up in St. Petersburg, where her father, John “Jack” Olson was the general manager of the St. Petersburg Times. A graduate of St. Petersburg High School, she went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in fashion marketing from Webber International College in Babson Park, Florida. Elizabeth is survived by her siblings, Joanne Small and Edmund Olson; daughter Kirsten Lundell Koester; stepchildren Guy Anderson, Michelle Block, Alan Anderson and Frank Anderson; grandchildren Jena Portmann, Jo Block, and Quinn Koester; and great-grandchildren Andrin, Daniel and Madison Hope, along with many dear relations and friends. Her professional career included working as a fashion buyer at J.L. Hudson’s department store in Detroit, and fashion remained a passion for the rest of her life. After many years away living in Miami, Chicago and Dallas, she relocated back to St. Petersburg in the early 1980’s and worked in advertising, which is how she met her late husband, Herbert Anderson, the owner and founder of Roll-a-Way shutters. She went on to run the advertising and marketing department of Roll-a-Way for many years until her retirement. Elizabeth was very involved in her community and charitable activities, and particularly loved the arts and culture. She served on the Women’s Service League, the Museum of Fine Arts Stuart Society, and was a member of the Debutantes’ Club. Longtime members of St. Petersburg Yacht Club, she and Herbert loved playing golf with the yacht club golf group, and were very active on the social committee at the Bayfront Tower, where they lived happily for 28 years. Elizabeth was stylish, generous and warm, a wonderful mother, wife, and friend to all who had the good fortune to know her. She will be greatly missed. She was an active member of the congregation at the First Presbyterian Church of St Petersburg, and her memorial service will take place there on August 15, 2021 at 1:00pm (701 Beach Dr NE, St. Petersburg). A celebration reception honoring the lives and loving union of Elizabeth and Herbert Anderson (who passed away on June 22, 2021) will immediately follow at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the United Way Suncoast https://unitedwaysuncoast.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/.