Joy Anderson, Former Herald Editorial Assistant, Dies at Age 83

By Michael F. Flach
^{HERALD Editor}

Joy Anderson, former editorial assistant and secretary under HERALD founding editor Charles W. Carruth, died Aug. 21 at her Springfield home of congestive heart failure. She was 83.

A New York City native, Anderson worked at the HERALD from October 1979 until January 1986. During her six years with the paper, Anderson edited the weekly "Coming Events" column, which is still a regular feature in the paper today.

"She was a very dedicated and loyal Catholic journalist," said Carruth, who edited the paper from the time it was established in 1975 until his retirement in 1991.

"I treasured her work at the HERALD," he said. "She was able to do so many things. She was an indispensable employee at the time."

After graduating from Walton High School in New York, Anderson worked as a secretary for Commercial Credit Corp. She was married for 55 years to the late Floyd Anderson, a nationally known Catholic journalist.

Floyd served as editor of several Catholic newspapers across the country, including The Catholic Light in Scranton, Pa.; The Advocate of Newark, N.J.; The Central California Register in Fresno; and The New World in Chicago. He was director of Catholic News Service (formerly known as National Catholic News) from 1963-68.

He received the St. Francis de Sales Award from the Catholic Press Association in 1963 for his outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism. He served for many years as a member of the HERALD’s board of directors before his death in 1988.

The Andersons were the typical Catholic press monthly, living in Superior, Wis.; Ridgefield, N.J.; Dunmore, Pa.; Cedar Grove, N.J.; Denver and Fresno, before settling in Alexandria, Va., in 1963.

From 1955 to 1963, Joy wrote a monthly cooking column for Crosier magazine entitled "Cooking with Joy." After rearing seven children, she returned to full-time employment, beginning as a secretary at Central Charge in Washington.

When the Andersons lived in Chicago from 1969 to 1976, she served as executive secretary for an architectural firm and as a confidential secretary to Cardinal John Cody of Chicago. It was at this time she met a young priest named Father John R. Keating, who later was named Arlington’s second bishop.

After the family returned to the Washington area in 1976, she worked as general editor of The American Catholic Who’s Who for two editions before taking the HERALD position.

A funeral Mass was offered for her on Aug. 25 at St. Bernadette Church in Springfield by Father Paul Scalia, associate pastor. Interment was at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Alexandria.

Anderson is survived by two daughters: Joan Holleman of Washington, D.C., and Mary Anderson Carey of Springfield; five sons: Peter of Columbus, Ohio; Thomas of Sacramento, Calif.; Martin of Burke; Joseph of Arlington; and Stephen of Locust Grove; 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

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