For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar 

ANDERSON, Donald DeBlois - QC, BA, LLB - 93, passed away on January 12, 2010, the QEII, Health Sciences Centre, Hospital. Born in Sydney, Cape Breton, he was the son of the late Katherine May (Macdonald) and the late A. P. Anderson. Don is survived by his wife, Helen (Read) and their five children: Donald Bruce, Katherine Jean (Gerald Owen), Glenn Read (Lynn), Gordon Alan (Andrea) and Helen Jane (Ed Wark), and grandchildren, Benjamin, Christopher, Faith, Cameron, Ryan and Molly Anderson, and Sophie, Maggie and Malcolm Wark. He was also predeceased by his only brother, Stewart M. Anderson. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Joyce E. Anderson and her children, Stewart Anderson and Ruth Megannety. Don was educated in the Halifax school system and Dalhousie University. While at Dalhousie, Don received Varsity Letters for basketball, rugby and badminton and he also played inter-faculty hockey. Two days after finishing his law exams in May 1941, he went on active service as an officer in Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. He served on the HMCS "Rimouski", a corvette engaged in Atlantic convoy escort work between St. John's and Londonderry. He also served on HMCS "Columbia" as Convoy Escort Group Anti-Submarine Officer on the Triangle Run between Halifax, St. John's, and Staten Island, NY. He taught in the Anti-Submarine Schools in Esquimalt and at Stadacona where he was the Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Submarine Training Centre. Next he went afloat as Executive Officer on the HMCS "Loch Achanalt", a Loch Class frigate operating in the Western Approaches as a member of a group striking force. HMCS "Annan" and HMCS "Loch Achanalt" destroyed the German U-Boat 1006 on October 16, 1944 after a gun battle in the North Atlantic in an area between the Faeroe Islands and the Norwegian Coast. Don took his ship's lifeboat to rescue and capture a number of the U-Boat crew. His final appointment during the war was as Acting Commanding Officer on the HMCS "Moose Jaw", a corvette engaged in convoy work running between Milford Haven, Wales, and South-End England and later Cherbourg. Following his wartime service, Don spent two years in Sydney, Cape Breton in association with his uncle W.N. Macdonald in the shipping and coal mining businesses. Don was Legal Counsel, Executive Assistant, Secretary-Treasurer and charter Director to various companies. In addition, he held various executive positions with the Sydney YMCA and the Navy League of Canada. Don then moved to New York City where he practiced admiralty law for two years and did post-graduate studies at the New York Graduate School of Law. When he returned to Halifax, Don established his own law office and also Elland Agencies, a firm engaged in importing, marine and general insurance brokerage, and marine insurance adjusting and settling claims for German and Japanese marine insurance companies. He subsequently joined the Dartmouth law firm named Drury, Heustis, Anderson, Dickie & Kimball (later named Anderson Huestis) where he was a senior partner until his retirement. He was a founding Director and Secretary of Halifax Cablevision and also of Breton & Industrial Marine Ltd. Don was very active in the community, including President of the Dartmouth Barristers' Society, Counsel member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, National President of the Navy League of Canada, President of the Nova Scotia Mainland Division of the Navy League of Canada, President of the Dartmouth Chamber of Commerce, President of the Rotary Club of Dartmouth, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mission to Seafarers Maritimes, President of the John W. MacLeod & Fleming Tower Home and School Association, Director of the Halifax Dartmouth United Appeal, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saraguay Club. After he retired from practicing law, Don worked full-time as an "independent investor", researching and analyzing the stock market. Until his mid-80s, he jogged, lifted weights and swam regularly at Dalplex in his spare time. At home, he was an armchair athlete watching hockey, basketball, football, and baseball. He loved spending time with his family and particularly enjoyed his visits with his grandchildren. The Anderson family would like to thank the doctors and nurses on the eighth floor of the QEII Health Sciences Centre who cared for Don. A service will be held in the chapel of Snow's Funeral Home, 2666 Windsor St., Halifax on Saturday, January, 16 at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to a charity of your choice.