Edwin Criss Anderson was born July 24, 1946 in Mount Vernon at the old Rally Hospital and passed away February 3, 2023. He was 76 years old. Ed was the 2nd child to Erma and Rutz Anderson. He had a sister, Nancy Johnson, who was two years his senior.

Ed graduated from MV High School where he played football. He use to love hunting, fishing, and boating with father, and going skiing with his friend, Jack Grill.

After High School, Ed joined the National Guard during the Vietnam War. Upon returning back to the Skagit Valley, he got a job at the San Juan Pea Canary where he met a young, 18 year old, Croatian woman who caught his eye, Marija Damjanovic. The two were married on March 9, 1968 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Anacortes. Their honeymoon was spent in Seattle at the Edgewater Inn. Nine months later, they had their only child, Michael Anderson, born on Christmas Day.

Ed and Marija lived in Mount Vernon for their entire marriage of 54 years. In 1968, he got a job working for Boeing in Everett, where he installed the doors on the first 747 jet liner.

In 1970 a family friend, Ron Panzero, told him about an opening at the Skagit County Sheriff's Office. He entered as a deputy and became a Sergeant, where he remained until his retirement after 27 years of service.

Ed, Marija, and Michael were one of six families that started the Vela Luka Croatian Dance Ensemble, where they performed Croatian dances in order to keep the Croatian heritage alive. This included performing at various venues, such at places as Anacortes High School, Seattle Opera House, Mini Hall, and Queen Elizabeth Theater in Vancouver, B.C. Every year during the Anacortes Arts festival, he would help cook Croatian food at our stand.

In retirement Ed was involved with the RCIA with the Catholic church, helping new members learn about Catholicism. He was also a life time member of Mount Vernon Elks Lodge #1604, where he started as a tiler and worked his way all the way to the Exalted Ruler. Ed and Marija also enjoyed taking trips to Croatia to visit family every summer where they have a house on the island of Korcula. Ed had a great sense of humor, loved to talked and share stories, and basically loved being around friends. He was a great husband and a wonderful father. He will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his wife, Marija, son Michael, his sister, Nancy, and various cousins and nieces.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 12:15pm at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, WA.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 1:30pm at Hawthorne Memorial Park in Mount Vernon, WA.