Dr. John Piland Anders

Dr. John Piland Anders, 73, of Swansboro, passed away on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at his home.

His memorial service, with military honors, will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, August 14, 2021, at Munden Funeral Home.  For those unable to attend, the service can be viewed through his obituary page on Munden Funeral Home’s website, www.mundenfuneralhome.net. (See link below for the Service Bulletin including the Order of Service.)

John was born on January 28, 1948, in Jacksonville, Florida, to the late Owen James Anders, Jr. and Ann Williams Piland Anders. After graduating from Havelock High School, John’s desire to learn and teach led him to further his education at Atlantic Christian College where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English in 1970. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, John honorably served in the United States Army.  In 1981 and 1984, he earned two master’s degrees from East Carolina University, one in Adult Education and one in English. AAlways one to enrich himself, he continued his education and earned his Ph.D. in English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1993.

He is survived by his brother, Jay Anders of Swansboro and cousins Debora Hosey and husband William Hosey of New Castle, DE, Nancy Elizabeth Handly of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Pat Handly-Johnson and husband Michael Johnson of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Robert “Bud” Handly and wife Cyanne Yates Handly of Tappahannock, VA.

John loved to share his many interests and passions with friends and colleagues. One of his most enduring passions was books! John collected and read books voraciously—books about North Carolina, historical England, and the works of Willa Cather, among many others. Cather was known for her writings of the Great Plains, and her work was the focus of John’s studies and Ph.D. thesis at UNL. As much as John loved his coastal home in North Carolina, Lincoln, with his many wonderful friends and colleagues, kept him captive. Many will remember John as H. L. Mencken wrote about Cather’s My Antonia, “…not many have been half so beautiful.”

As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to the Willa Cather Foundation, 425 N Webster St., Red Cloud, NE 68970 or to a charity of one’s choice.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC.