Tim D. Anderson, 69 of Viola, Illinois, passed away Friday, February 20, 2026, at home surrounded by his family after a courageous battle with cancer. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, February 27, at Denison Funeral Home in Viola. The funeral service will be 10 a.m., Saturday, February 28, at Dennison Funeral Home. The family invites everyone to wear their Cubs gear to Tim’s services. Interment will be in Aledo Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Mercer County Relay for Life, the Viola Fire Department, or the Martin F. Ryan Ag Scholarship Fund. Online condolences may be left online at www.dennisonfuneralhome.com.
Timmy “Tim” Donald Anderson was born December 13, 1956, in Aledo, Illinois, to Dan and Leona (Marple) Anderson. He briefly lived in Millersburg, IL, with siblings Linda, Dick, Jerry, and Bill before moving to Aledo. Tim graduated from Aledo High School in 1975; while attending Aledo he enrolled in the co-op course where he worked part-time at Continental Telephone company in the warehouse and transitioned into a full-time role as an installer upon graduation. Tim married Theresa Ryan on August 13, 1977, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Viola, IL. Tim and Theresa are proud parents of Ryan and Shawn, who both distinguished themselves academically by earning their PhDs and have gone on to achieve remarkable success in their respective careers of which Tim was especially proud.
Tim remained employed with the telephone company for his entire 45 year career, however the telephone company changed names numerous times including Contel, GTE, Verizon, CenturyTel, CenturyLink, and finally Lumen where he ended his career as a database administrator in Wentzville, MO. Tim worked on multiple high impact projects throughout his career including fortifying eight foot tall sandbag barriers and worked from the roof of the switch stations impacted by Mississippi River floods ensuring telephones remained active in an era when cell phones did not exist. When he transferred to Wentzville, he was the main point of contact for troubleshooting the old analog switch stations as he was one of the few who still possessed institutional knowledge. He also worked on projects that allowed consumers to keep their telephone numbers when they switched carriers and was instrumental in setting up the national suicide hotline number.
Tim was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan who attended baseball games whenever possible. He really enjoyed attending spring training and Cubs convention where he collected autographs and memorabilia. Some of his most memorable moments included watching Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire matching home run for home run at the end of the 1998 season in Busch Stadium. He also managed to throw out the first pitch at the Cardinals game and was talked out of wearing his Cubs shirt by his wife who wanted to arrive home safely. He enjoyed watching the Cubs in a rocking Wrigley field during their World Series run. Tim was renowned for cheering on the Cubs and Bears from his favorite watering hole. Tim was an avid bowler and golfer, and competitively shot pool starting at a very young age. He also enjoyed playing cribbage with his family.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa Ryan Anderson; his sons, Ryan Anderson (Angela) and Shawn Anderson (Marco the cat); his grandkids, Payton McKittrick and Jake Anderson; his siblings, Linda Sage and Bill Anderson (Laura); his mother-in-law, Paula Ryan; his sisters- and brothers-in-law, Elsa Anderson, Jim Ryan (Julie), David Ryan (Beth), Carrie Jo Adams (Chuck), Tom Ryan (Marti), and Marcy Hyder (Mo); along with several nieces and nephews and lifelong friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dan and Leona Anderson; father-in-law, Martin Ryan; his brothers, Dick Anderson and Jerry Anderson; and his brother-in-law, Dick Sage.
The family is deeply grateful for Timmy’s friends and care team for their kindness, unwavering support, and the comfort they provided him throughout his journey. Your support means more than words can express. Thank you for always being there for him.
Cancer SUCKS, and we should NOT be doing this! FU Cancer!