Deloy H. Anderson Jr. - Friend of Sparks High School

Deloy H. Anderson Jr. was born on November 15, 1925 in Ely, Nevada to Deloy H. Anderson Sr.  and Anna Anderson.  He is the oldest of three siblings: his brothers, Dick and Jerry, and his cousin, Florence whom his family took in after her mother died.  Anderson attended White Pine High School in Ely where he participated in basketball, track, and football.  It was there where he met his future wife, Pauline Sirkegian.  Anderson joined the United States Navy right after graduation in 1943.

            While in the Navy Anderson served in World War II and was deployed to Okinawa and Iwo Jima, Japan on the U.S.S. Rooks.  After his time in the Navy, he returned to the U.S. and went to California to find Pauline so they could marry, which they did on June 19, 1948.  After some time in California they returned to Reno, where Anderson attended the University of Nevada, Reno and majored in education.  Throughout his four years at UNR he played for the Wolf Pack football team and assisted children with disabilities through pool rehabilitation.

            Once he graduated, Anderson began teaching history and coaching the football team at Sparks High School.  Until 1948, Anderson remained at Sparks High, where he gave up coaching in order to take up his career as vice principal and later principal.  He left SHS in 1968 to serve as Assistant Superintendent. He retired in 1984 and was able to spend time with his three children.  In his retirement, he enjoyed watching his children’s games, reading, going to Lake Tahoe, and watching football and baseball games.  His wife remembers him as honorable, caring, and steadfast, and to a large degree competitive – traits she is happy to see living on in their children, their four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Inducted 2012