Neil R. Andersen
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow the death of former employee Neil R. Andersen on August 29, 2024, at the Goodwill Retirement Community, Memory Lane, Grantsville.MD. He was 88.
Neil was born Sept. 22, 1935, in Lynn, Mass., to Karl and Ethel (Olafson) Andersen. He met his wife, Carole (Argilander) Andersen when they were both students at North High School, Worcester, Mass.
They wed in 1956 and were married for 67 years until her death on July 29, 2023.
He was drafted into the Army in 1954 and discharged as an SP/4 in 1956. He received a direct commission in the Navy Reserve in 1961, from which he retired in 1971, at the rank of Lieutenant.
Neil received his BA, in chemistry from Clark University, Worcester, in 1960. He earned his PhD in Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Oceanography from MIT in 1965, with supplemental courses in Physical Oceanography taken at Harvard University.
He began his long career in Oceanography at WHOI in 1959 as a Radiochemical assistant . He left WHOI in 1965 as a research assistant. He and the family then moved to the Washington, D.C. area in 1965 where he held positions with the Naval Oceanographic Office, Office of Naval Research and retired from the National Science Foundation in 1995 as the Director of its Chemical Oceanography Program.
In 1979, Neil and Carole had a year sabbatical at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, LaJolla, Calif., performing post-doctoral studies in remote sensing. In addition to his work with the federal government, in 1982 he accepted a position with the United Nations System at UNESCO in Paris, France in their International Oceanographic Commission as Chief of its Marine Pollution Research and Monitoring unit.
After retirement from Federal Service in 1995, he accepted a position with the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Laboratory as Professor of Chemical Oceanography. He continued his association with the International Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO) and NATO’s Science Sector on its Black Sea Program. He was a lifetime trustee of the Bermuda Biological Station for Research and a lifetime member of the American Geophysical Union.
He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton; the Almas Shriner’s Temple and Scottish Rite of Free Masonry of Washington, D.C.; Coats Lodge No. 102 of A.F&A.M., Easton and Easton Lodge No. 1622, B.P.O.E.
He is survived by his son, Dr. Scott K. Andersen, DVM (Nicole), Annapolis; and daughter, Tina L. Buckel (Bill), Bittinger. He leaves seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Burial in Bittinger Cemetery will be scheduled at a later date.
The Buckel family would like to express their thanks for the community and close friend support as well as a huge expression of thanks and gratitude for the excellent care that Neil received while a resident at Goodwill Retirement Community for just short of a year.
Both Neil and Carole were avid lifelong readers and supporters of reading in their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family suggests that those wishing to donate in memory of Neil could donate to their local public library system or the Dolly Parton Reading Program. Additional suggestions are the Alzheimer’s Association; any local animal rescue; or a charity of their choice.
Information for this obituary is from the Garrett County Republican Newspaper