In Memory

Michael Anderson

Obit from Mike's family as printed in the Marin IJ:

Our forever Valentine, Michael Anderson, diagnosed with cancer in September, passed away at home on February 10, surrounded by immeasurable love, respect, and gratitude. In his final hours he was able to join his family in singing “Imagine” – a song that he adored for its vision of world peace. Born a third-generation San Franciscan in 1943, he spent his early years in the outer Sunset District. In 1947 his family became one of the first to settle in Greenbrae. He attended St. Anselm’s, Marin Catholic, Santa Clara University, St. Joseph’s minor seminary in Mt. View, St. Patrick’s major seminary in Menlo Park, and film school at San Francisco State.

Throughout his 60-year career as a documentary cinematographer, director and producer he focused on telling stories that would effect change in the world, in the direction of justice, civil rights, women’s rights and equality for all.

He traveled the world extensively and made countless friends along the way.Michael’s kindness will be remembered by everyone he encountered, from his front gate on San Francisco Blvd. to the farthest reaches of the globe. He couldn’t be prouder of the work his wife Suellen did for maternal healthcare, or of his three grandchildren, the lights of his life.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 50 years, Suellen Miller, his daughters Lucy Blossom Anderson (Sam Ruff) and Sararose Anderson Benham (Tom Benham), his grandchildren Willow Hudson, Waverley Michael, and Truman Wilder Benham. His sister Tracy Armanino (Andy) and his brother Joseph “Hotdog” Anderson. He is predeceased by his parents, Elmer and Joan Anderson, his brother Peter Anderson, his sister Patty Anderson, his first wife Karen Iuppa, and his niece Valerie Calegari. His surviving, and abundant, nieces and nephews all miss their uncle, the coolest guy they grew up with. He cared deeply for all his cousins, whom he held so dear, and about whom he could easily recount anecdotes, dates, geographical locations and arcane family history, right up through his final days.

To all his brothers and sisters around the world, “keep on keepin’ on.”

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to: UCSF Foundation, Safe Motherhood Program online at: http://tinyurl.com/ucsfSafeMotherhood Or by check to: UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339, and designate on the memo line that the gift is in memory of Michael Anderson and for account #7000854. Or to The Marin Open Space Trust online at:  https://marinopenspacetrust.org/support-most

To send flowers to the family of Michael John Anderson, please visit the Tribute Store.

 

Email received from Mike A. on November 9, 2023:

Melodie & Joe: 

Here's what I'm putting out there about my health:

Right now, Suellen and our daughters, Lucy and Sararose, and many home health care folks are providing excellent care. No visitors for a while, but I will call when I can. It was a first time experience dialing 911 and riding in an ambulance to Kaiser. 

What am I even talking about? I've left so much out. Everything I know about my current situation follows:

Mid-March this year: the worst sore throat I ever experienced. Possibly acid reflux? Treated with Prilosec; sore throat goes away. Mid-April: we go to Club Med in Yucatan with 3 generations of 13 family members. First time on a plane since Covid. We all return home in good health. 

Mid-July: even worse sore throat; more Prilosec, symptoms wane. 

Mid-August: sore throat returns with a vengeance; can’t eat, drink, or swallow without causing excruciating pain; lose 12 pounds; nurse practitioner says get a CT scan. Scan reveals nothing. I go to Ear, Nose, Throat doctor. He feels a mass in my throat, tries a biopsy, fails to find anything. I go to an Interventional Radiologist. Using latest diagnostic tools he identifies Stage 3 Base of Tongue cancer. Not operable because too far advanced.

Oct. 6 we prepare for chemo and radiation to begin on Nov. 6. Suellen announces she’s canceling a long-planned trip to Paris to address the triennial convention of the Int’l Federation of Ob-Gyn. I apply all my rhetorical skills to get her on an Airporter to SFO. Meanwhile, Dr. Bian Wu has discovered in my history an emergency stent threaded into my aorta in Israel in 2003 after a vehicle accident that took the life of my friend Jamie Kibben while we were working on a documentary about Israel/Palestine. Though I had 2 CT scans every year for 20 years to check on the stent, it had finally begun to deteriorate. Emergency … 

Wait again! …  someone can tell this better than I can. Meet Doctor Josh Weil, son of late filmmaker and friend Michael Weil. But before you read the note by Josh, know that I am in excellent spirits. I have never been happier (honest), despite recently coming home from the 14 days and nights in the Cardiovascular ICU at Kaiser Hospital. The care there was excellent. Now we're home, everything is great, and we're taking it a day at a time. Finally, here's the note from Kaiser ER doc, Josh Weil, not connected to my case, but with access to all my medical records.

Dear Friends, with permission, I’m bringing you an update on our friend, Michael A.  

In late August Michael reached out to me for advice over some bouts of serious throat pain he was suffering.  They had been coming and going over a few months, but now more sustained.  There had been talk of further evaluation, and I urged him to seek a prompt CT scan and Head and Neck Surgeon to peek down his throat.  Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a stage 3 oral cancer.  The good news is that, although you have to go through rigorous chemo and radiation treatment, the prognosis is fairly good (though I always try to ground a good prognosis with the understanding that, if 4 out of 5 people do well, but you’re the 1 in 5, that’s all that matters to you), and treatment was set to begin in November.  

Then around 3 weeks ago (Oct. 12, 2023), Michael called me because he was suffering some pretty significant chest pain.  We decided the best thing was for him to go to the ER and he was admitted to the hospital.  The cause of his pain wasn’t immediately clear, but over several days it became apparent that he was suffering a complication and leakage from the aortic stent that was placed in Israel 2 decades ago. Michael was among the very first to receive such a stent, and he helped pave the way for a procedure that has been used, dare I say, hundreds of thousands of times (maybe millions?) since.  

After an emergency “patch” was made around the stent it then became apparent that the underlying problem was an infection that had developed around the stent – seeded from bacteria that got into Michael’s blood stream via the oral cancer.

Under the best of circumstances, when you have infected “hardware”, you often pull it out, as fighting the infection is particularly difficult when foreign material is present (that’s why you take prophylactic antibiotics when you have dental procedures and hardware in your body). Unfortunately, such a surgery for Michael would probably be a lethal undertaking.  Instead he’s looking at long-term, possibly life-time antibiotics.  And, as you might imagine, fighting an infection while undergoing cancer treatment (and vice-versa) is a difficult task.

I was able to visit Michael in the hospital over the weekend (Oct. 22, 2023) and he was in excellent spirits.  He also looked rather well, all things considered.  At this time he’s prepared to go forward with all treatment, and he, Suellen, and the girls are all on the same page.  I don’t have insight as to whether or not the presence of the infection will delay starting chemo/radiation treatment.  I do know that Michael will need all our love, good thoughts, and support.

At this time he’s not ready for visitors, but I suspect he would be happy to hear from folks.

Josh Weil


[Back to me, Michael]

So there you have it. I can only add that we went to Kaiser San Rafael yesterday to have the drain analyzed under fluoroscopy. The doctors decided to leave it in for two more weeks. We have our first heart-to heart phone meeting with the Radiation Oncologist tomorrow (Dr. Fields in Rohnert Park.) We already had a head-to-head conference with the Chemo Oncologist (Dr. Jerome Kim). The big question - assuming I can get rid of the bacterial infection in my heart (aorta) - is whether my body can stand the onslaught of chemo or radiation or both of them. We're already advised that no one will have the perfect answer.

Wishing you all the best.

Love,
Mike A.

 

 



 
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02/17/24 08:18 AM #1    

James Klein

I re-connected with Mike through a group of mutual friends who shared the experience of attending St. Joseph's Seminary in Mountain View and St Patrick's College and Seminary in Menlo Park.  Over the last several years that group has gathered regularly and Mike was present from time-to-time.   He was the same upbeat, chatty guy I knew from both Marin Catholic and the seminary.  His energy for film-making was fascinating.  I especially admired his creativity. At one point we had an interesting email exchange about hymns that resonated because of where we were in our communal life as a nation. Mike will be well remembered. Jim Klein


02/22/24 01:22 PM #2    

Nancy Friel (McIntyre)

The passing of my dear friend, Michael Anderson, is a huge loss to us all. I fondly remember our times cheering for the Wildcats and doing such wild things as bouncing on the painters' net under the Golden Gate Bridge. However, his contributions to his family, community, and the world will be missed, but never forgotten. Michael left his legacy of passion, compassion, and love for us all.🥲❤️ My sincerely condolences to his family. May God bring you peace. 

 

 


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