An 84-year-old man killed in a collision on Saturday (Feb. 3) in Abbotsford has been identified as former school trustee Phil Anderson.
The two-vehicle crash took place just before 1 p.m. in the 31000 block of Old Yale Road. Anderson was driving one of the vehicles, and died on scene.
Police said the male driver of the “offending vehicle” was detained on scene pending further investigation. No charges have been laid at this time.
The circumstances of the crash have not been released.
A statement was released Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 6) from the Abbotsford board of education, acknowledging Anderson’s death “with profound sadness.”
The statement said Anderson served the school district with “unwavering dedication” for eight years.
“Phil’s passion for public education and his commitment to supporting Abbotsford school district students will not be forgotten,” it read.
“As we reflect on Phil’s service, we are reminded of the impact one individual can have on the lives of many. He will be greatly missed.”
Anderson was first elected to the Abbotsford board of education in 2014, when he was one of only two new faces to join the five incumbents.
Anderson was re-elected in the 2018 election, but did not retain his seat in 2022.
While running for election, he described his key issues as class sizes being too large and children with special needs requiring more specialized classes.
“Trustees are a link between the community and the classroom. I want to use my knowledge and my life and business experience to help keep the Abbotsford school system as a high-achieving model that works with parents and the community to help students become successful,” he said in the run-up to the 2018 election.
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Anderson was also opposed to the SOGI 123 resource, which has recently become the focus of vehement opposition rallies from various groups across the province.
Prior to his years in Abbotsford, Anderson completed high school in Edmonton and graduated from Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He became a heavy duty mechanic.
Anderson’s background also includes three years at Vancouver Bible Institute (VBI). After graduating from VBI, he worked building logging and highway trucks while pastoring at South Burnaby Baptist Church.
Anderson spent nine years as a trustee – one year as board chair – in Lloydminster, Alberta/Saskatchewan, where he and his wife lived in the mid-1970s and ’80s.
While in Lloydminster, he was a counsellor and director at his church’s youth camp. He was also involved with Christian Camping International across Canada for 12 years.
Anderson and his family – wife Marjorie and two sons – moved to B.C. in 1985 to pursue a business, Ambassador Auto Repairs. They sold the business and retired to Abbotsford in 2014.
Anderson also headed up the “First Contact” area at Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Surrey, where he was in charge of greeting, parking, and ushering teams in the welcome area.
RELATED: 84-year-old man dead following 2-vehicle crash in Abbotsford