Dottie and Lew R. (Chip) Anderson III

23756 Arena Dr.
Rapid City, SD 57702
landers@tfb.com


Being retired is a Wonderful Thing! The life without a boss, without a time card, and with a great wife and family is something to treasure!

I graduated and attended Mesa Community College for one year before feeling totally bored. Mike Owsley and I enlisted in the USAF and headed for Basic Training and Technical School in Biloxi, MS to become Air Traffic Controllers. My first assignment was in Selma, AL where I worked part-time as a Top 40 disc jockey and met my wife, Dottie. After a tour in VietNam, I returned and we were married over 36 years ago. My final year was at Williams AFB. In 1970 I trained with House of Fabrics and managed two stores in Albuquerque. In ‘74, I joined Cutter Flying Service as Operations Manager. The FAA offered me a position in Houston in ‘75 and we moved to Conroe, TX where we lived for the next 5 years and our son was born. In ‘80 I transferred to Palmdale, CA and eventually Gillespie Tower in Santee, CA. The PATCO strike, Aug. 5th, 1981 was the end of my ATC career.

I joined the San Diego Police Dept. and remained there until my retirement. I was a Traffic Collision Investigator, a pilot in the Air Support Unit, and Academy instructor, and back to Traffic Investigation and Collision Reconstruction until my retirement on April 15th, 2002. During that time I completed my BA in Personnel Mgmt. and MA in Forensic Sciences.

We sold our home, moved into a 40’ motor home, and became residents of South Dakota where we currently “legally reside”. We return to San Diego during the winters to spend time with our son, his wife, and our new grandson. My wife, Dottie, is a cancer survivor and that has affected our genuine lust for life. We have a circle of friends that reaches all over the country through our participation in RV rallies, involvement in Rotary and Elks, and our church activities. Our life has been an exciting trip with many more experiences awaiting us!