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FROM the Legacy.com obituary link:
The Honorable Donnald Keith Anderson, KGCHS
Born on October 17, 1942, in Sacramento, California, to Russell and Sally (nee Zimmerman) Anderson. Passed away July 30, 2020. Educated in the Sacramento public schools, Donn commenced service to the United States House of Representatives on January 5, 1960, at the age of seventeen having been appointed a House Page during the 86th Congress (1959-1961) by Representative John E. Moss of California.
After attending Sacramento State University and George Washington University, he spent eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve. In 1972 Speaker Carl Albert of Oklahoma appointed Anderson Majority Floor Manager of the U.S. House of Representatives, a position he held until January 6, 1987, when he became Clerk of the House at the opening of the 100th Congress (1987-1989) and for the three succeeding Congresses (January 6, 1987 - January 4, 1995). His staff of more than 600 was responsible for House Floor operations, finance and procurement, information technology, and televised House proceedings, among other areas.
One of Anderson's main achievements in his eight years as Clerk was the creation of two House offices: Employee Assistance and Fair Employment Practices. Mr. Anderson retired from the House in January 1995.
A resident of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and Sacramento, CA, he is a member emeritus of the House Page Board. For over 40 years, Donn was benefactor, Lector and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. He was a generous benefactor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Sacramento, St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill and Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, both in Washington, DC. In 1991, he was invested by Pope John Paul II in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a Papal order of knighthood under the protection of the Holy See. Born into the Presbyterian faith, Donn was baptized Catholic in 1979.
His Godparents were the illustrious Corrine "Lindy" Boggs, Dan Rostenkowski and the late House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill whom all had a significant influence on Donn both in his faith journey and career. A small, private service was held in Sacramento for family and friends.
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=donnald-anderson&pid=196683920&fhid=8294
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Donald Dupage
I knew Donald from the 2nd grade. We were in Cub Scouts, his mom was our den mother. I viisted him in DC on several occasions and he always took us on great tours of the capitol and housse and senate, I last saw Donald when we had him over for dinner here in Sacramento in the 80's. He was a strong democrat and was well aquinted with the Johnsons and knew Lyndons kids well, socialized with the family. Great guy.
Jerna Comstock (Verrios)
Rest In Peace..Donald...You had a Great Life..♥
Tom Hobday
Donn left our class when we were 16 to take job as a Congressional Page in Washington. He graduated from Page high school and got a job as an elevator operator in the congressional office building to put himself through George Washington University. He then got a job in congress as a staffer and worked his way up to become Clerk of the House, the CEO of Congress. He served in that position for seven years. After retirement, he spent several hours a day with the Congressional Historian doing a memory dump for the historical record. He was highly complimentary of the leaders ofCongress at that time as looking out for the good of the country and our citizens. Walking down the street in Washington near the Capitol at that time was a unique experience as every other person wewalkidby would greet him with an enthusiastic "Hi Donn!." He moved back to his mother's home on Robertson Avenue a few years ago because he did not feel comfortable with the political climate in Washington. His mother's home was like a museum of American History with mementoes he had sent home during his career. He was a special man and will be greatly missed.
John "Jack" Kemp
Donn Anderson was one fun, smart fellow. In jr. high school he played the bassoon in the school band always in dapper dress with slicked-back hair. He started writing "The History of the Musical Instrument". The introduction exceeded hundreds of pages. I don't know whether he finished the introduction much less the book. I was in awe.
A special connection I had with Donn was as a member of his stage crew at Cal Jr. High along with Michael Neves, my brother Jim and a couple other jokers. There was never a moment that we were not sabotaging and laughing about antics and conspiracy inspired by Donn to rile the performers.
Donn loved to party... and parties were a reason for pranks and laughs; bathroom towel tricks included. At one party, during a police raid, the cops caught Donn in the bushes while Mike, Jim and I guffawed in the undergrowth.The cops found a pipe in Donn's vest pocket and said "What is this?". Donn replied, huffily, "That is a genuine Mirscheime (sp) pipe... you've probably never seen one."
Donn, Mike, Jim and I spent several New Years Eves in the St Francis Hotel on Union Square in S.F. We were underage but had all the perks and booze we wanted thanks to Donn. They were the greatest NYE's I have ever enjoyed.
I think many classmates thought Donn was a wimp or could not figure him out due to his eccentric style. I was drawn to Donn as a person of importance. I am not surprised at his incredible accomplishments. He was destined to be someone special. I treasure all the experiences with Donn that he allowed me to be a part of. I wish I could have said goodbye to him and shared a laugh or two.
Roger Nikaido
Unfortunately, I was one of many who grew up with Donald who, based only on his appearance and mannerisms, saw him as a wimp. Although we rarely spoke to each other at Riverside Elementary and Calif. Jr. High, our interests and career paths were very similar. We played together in the orchestra. He played the bassoon and I played the trumpet. Our careers collided when we bumped into each other in the halls of our Nation's Capitol in 1968. Donald worked as a U.S. House of Representative Page and I worked as a civil rights activist for Asian Americans and, to pay the bills, lobbying for Japanese Textile Imports, Panasonic Electronics, and Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Not only did Donald give me amazing tours of the Capitol but all the wheelings and dealings that goes on behind closed doors. He once gave me a tip on how to have a one-on-one meeting with then Senator Robert Kennedy. Instead of using the underground subway system from the Capitol to his Senate Office, Senator Kennedy, who was very athletic, would walk it alone at a very fast pace. You have to be in excellent shape, I remember Donald warning me, to keep up with him, talk at the same time, and for a considerable distance. I assured Donald that I was still in great shape after playing first string guard for Sac Jr. College Varsity Basketball with classmates Barry Walson and Bob Ferrel. I tried it and it worked great! Although I don't have proof, Donald's ties with President Johnson's family, may have influenced my having lunch with President Johnson and Lady Bird in the White House during the Poor People's March on Washington. To my surprise, Donald K. Anderson, the kid who walked like a penguin, changed from a wimp to an elder statesman! I wanted to share my brief but priceless experiences with Donald, which showed me in bold letters how stereotyping people can be misleading, destructive, and quite frankly, un-American!