John Hevle Andersen, 87, of River Forest, died on Jan. 1, 2015. Born on April 27, 1927 to Ethel and Alfred Andersen, he spent most of his youth between Medina Country Club under the golfing tutelage of Tommy Armour and their summer home in Lake Geneva. After his Navy service, he attended the University of Miami on a golf scholarship and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He joined the family company, Andersen Engineering, eventually becoming president.
In 1953 he married the love of his life, Gene Gambill. He became a top amateur golfer, winning many championships throughout the Midwest, including six-time club champion at the Oak Park Country Club. He qualified for and played the 1959 and 1961 U.S. Amateur Championship and the British Amateur Championship of 1963.
As his eyesight diminished, his interests merged with his wife’s love of horses, enthusiastically cheering on his wife and daughters at Saddlebred horse shows. He served as president of the Mid-America Horse Show Association and the Hooved Animal Humane Society in the ’80s. The Andersens were both very active at Lyric Opera and the rebuilding of the Globe Theatre in London.
John Andersen is survived by his wife, Gene (nee Gambill); his children, Kari Andersen (John) Shipley III, John H. Jr., Russell C. (Deborah) Andersen and Kristen Andersen (Cliff) Wilewski; his grandchildren, John A. IV, Walker G. and Matthew A. Shipley, and David, Daniel and Thomas Wilewski; his brother-in-law, Charles F. (Shirley) Gambill; his nieces, nephews and many friends. He was preceded in death by his brother, Alfred N. Andersen.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, Jan. 9 at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of River Forest, 7551 Quick Ave., in River Forest. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Hooved Animal and Humane Society, www.hahs.org, or to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, www.lyricopera.org.