Tomio Anderson

Anderson, Tomio 11/2/1950 - 11/21/2018 Portage, MI Tomio Anderson, age 68, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes at his home in Portage, Michigan on Wednesday, November 21, 2018. He was born on November 2, 1950 in New York City, NY to Robert Hunt and Yoko Maria (Omura) Anderson. Growing up in Kalamazoo, music became an integral part of his life, and he graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Music. After teaching and playing professionally in Detroit, Mexico, and Kansas, he returned to Kalamazoo in the early 1980s to set down his roots. He worked with the Suzuki program teaching violin and viola lessons, and played viola in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra for over three decades. In later years he taught music lessons at Marshall Music in Portage. Tomio was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church and participated in the choir and music programs, and also helped in other areas. Sharing music with students, parents of students, and audiences was Tomio's great passion. As a loving father, he also shared this enthusiasm for music with his two sons. Other hobbies included folk dancing, mall-walking, origami, little sports cars, kayaking, and historical fiction. Tomio was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Hunt and Yoko Maria, and brothers Kenji and Dale. He is survived, and remembered with love, by his sons, Hans (Rebecca) and Eric, by his mother to his sons and former spouse Julie (Brian) Schneeberger, by his siblings, Kimiko Anderson, Robert (Michiko) Anderson, Lynda Prescott, and Joe Manawash, by his three grandchildren, and by his nephews, nieces, cousins, and countless music students. Memorial Service to be held on Friday, Dec. 21 at 2:00pm at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 247 W Lovell St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to your favorite music organization or to St. Luke's Episcopal Church.