Kenneth Ward Anderson

Kenneth Ward Anderson

December 14, 1931 — March 4, 2019

Kenneth Ward Anderson passed away peacefully on March 4, 2019, at his home in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jean Jensen, and three children, Kenneth Ward Anderson Jr., Richard Scott Anderson and Wendy Anderson Blanchard.

Kenneth Ward Anderson was born and raised in Evanston, Illinois, on Dec. 14, 1931. His family — father and mother, Sydney and Grey Anderson, and brother, Sydney III — predeceased him. Ken attended Evanston High School, where he graduated with honors. He attended Northwestern University and graduated with a BA from the Kellogg School of Business. He and Jean met in college and were married during spring break of their senior year, 1953.

Ken served in the army and was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. While he was in the Army, Jean moved to Los Angeles to live with her parents where their first child, Ken Jr. was born. After his discharge, he pursued graduate studies in finance at UCLA and USC in Los Angeles. He began his career with United California Bank (now Wells Fargo), where he developed and headed the Public Utility and Transportation Department for four years. In 1963, he and his family moved to Lubbock, Texas, where he became Senior Vice President-Finance of TIME-DC, a transcontinental motor freight company. The family lived in Lubbock for seven years before moving to Dallas to become Senior Vice President –Finance with Campbell-Taggart, an international manufacturer of bread, chips and refrigerated dough products. In 1980, he and Jean moved to Houston for a two-year stint with Galveston Houston Company, an oil service company. In 1982, he returned to Dallas to become Senior Vice President of Finance of Cook Data Service Inc., which he assisted in taking public. In 1983, he and his business partner developed and founded Blockbuster Entertainment Co. and he served as a Director and President of the company. Blockbuster became the largest operator of video superstores in the world. After selling control of Blockbuster to an investor, he and his partner acquired and developed an electronic ID device (commonly called toll tags), which is now used on many bridges, interstates, tollways, freight trains and airports around the world and he held the position of Director and Chairman of the Executive, Finance and Audit Committee of Amtech Corporation. He served on the board of Offshore Logistics, a company that provided boat & helicopter transportation to offshore rigs/platforms. During his career, he also served on community boards such as United Way in Dallas, and was a member of several professional organizations. He retired from his last Board directorship, Fossil Inc., in 2011 after serving 18 years.

His family consists of three children: Ken Jr. and his wife Beth Anderson of Dallas; Richard and his wife Michelle Anderson of Dallas; and a daughter Wendy and her husband Pat Blanchard of Plano. There are five grandchildren, Chrissi and husband Chris Crampton of New York, Richard II and Monica Anderson of Dallas, Stan Hammond of Austin, Kyle Hammond of Charleston, South Carolina, and Blake Anderson, who in 2015, preceded Ken in death. Ken and Jean have five great-grandchildren, Sofia & Leonardo Anderson and Maddie, CeCe & Savvy Crampton. Fun and happy times were spent when their families came to visit in Horseshoe Bay and on numerous family trips.

Ken and Jean purchased their home in Horseshoe Bay in 1989 and moved permanently to the area in May 1992. During retirement, he still kept involved with the business world by serving on the boards of Fossil, an international manufacturing company; Earful of Books, an audio book rental company; Advest Financial Communications, Offshore Logistics and Market Quiz. Locally, he has served on the Board of Trustees of the Church at Horseshoe Bay, during which he co-founded the church’s Endowment Fund. He also served as an officer and director of the Lake Area Health Foundation. Ken supported several non-profit organizations in the area such as the Highland Lakes Family Crisis Center, Boys & Girls Club, The Phoenix Center, the Seton Highland Lakes Hospital Expansion Project and the Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial gifts may be given to The Church at Horseshoe Bay and Baylor, Scott & White Medical Center in Marble Falls.

Online condolences may be made at dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/marble-falls-tx/clements-wilcox-funeral-home/1798.