Livingston Vann Anderson, Jr.

Livingston Vann Anderson, Jr. of Lawrence, Kansas, passed away on Monday, July 28, 2025. Vann was born in Williston, Florida, June 20, 1935. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday with friends and family.

He carved his own path at an early age, with two paper routes each day traveling to Cuba as a youth representative of his Methodist Church when he was only 17, and graduated from Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida. He also has a Master’s Degree from Boston University.

Vann climbed Mt. Long, a ‘fourteener’ in Colorado, rafted the length of the Colorado River, took cruises with Ann to many countries, learned to play tennis at age 80, and hiked the Flint Hills of Kansas.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Ann Vigola Anderson, three children, Keith Anderson, Kerry Anderson, Lori Anderson Roth, his brother, James B. Anderson, of Ocala, Florida, nieces and nephews, cousin, friends, and two beloved cats, Sweetie ToeBeans and Molly MAU Meow.

After retiring as a Methodist minister for 20 years, he created his own company, Strategic Thinking LLC, and consulted worldwide for over 40 years with over 200 clients. He was a genius at putting things back together in a better way and always found a solution to the hardest challenge.

Vann was kind, generous, intelligent, and never gave up wondering about the ‘why’ of the universe. He lived the words of ‘Desiderata’ and urged us all to ‘Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.’

Memorials may be made in Livingston's name to the Jayhawk Tennis Center, 233 Rock Chalk Lake, Lawrence, KS 66049 and Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th Street, Lawrence, KS 66046.