Valerie and Bill on "Val-Halla"
Valerie Anders
Museum Secretary
Valerie Anders has been instrumental in supporting Bill throughout his career since their marriage in 1955. During Bill's career as an Astronaut and Air Force fighter pilot, while he was out flying his missions, her "mission" was to take care of the five kids at home. Their sixth child came after the Air Force and Space program and is the only child born to "post lunar flight" parents. Since Bill's mission focus during the space program was the moon, Bill and Valerie's sixth child and second daughter was named Diana, the Greek moon goddess. Valerie is now the proud grandmother of four grandsons and three granddaughters.
Having been active in the Olympic Park Institute (OPI) for many years, she is now the Chairman of the OPI Board of Directors. She also serves on the Yosemite National Institute (YNI) board, OPI's parent. OPI is one of the three campuses of YNI whose focus is field science education of children, primarily in the fifth and sixth grade age groups. Closer to home, she is President of the board for the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.
|
|
|
|
Valerie and Bill on "Val-Halla" |
It is often forgotten (not by Valerie, but by everyone else) that while Bill was training and flying to the moon, Valerie raised the five kids (the sixth, Diana, was born in '72). Slip on her stylish pumps for a minute and think about her thoughts and emotions on December 21st, 1968. You've already done Christmas, just in case, the gang in tow above running around, and her sitting and watching her husband be on the first crew to fly a manned launch of the Saturn V. That singular moment when the engines light off.... That's courage. |