Donald James Anderson

Donald James Anderson, 75, died in his sleep, Wednesday, August 30, 2006. Don was born August 19, 1931 in Denver, Colorado at Saint Anthony's Hospital. HE attended Saitn Catherine's Elementary School and graduated from Holy Family High School. From high school, Don began to attend college at Regis College when he enlisted into the Air Force and served in the armed services from 1951-1953. He received his masters in Urban and Regional Planning from colorado University in 1974. In December of 1953, Don and Sara Smith were married beginning 53 years of marriage. They gave life to six children from 1955 to 1965, three boys and three girls. To support his family Don began his career in law enforcement with the Wesminster Police Department in 1960 and worked with the department for two years. He decided to expand his career by working uo to Under Sheriff while also attending the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy. In 1972 Don was appointed Law Enforcement Specialist to the newly created Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Planning Agency. He recommended programs and projects to the State Supervisory Board for funding grant progects used to manage solutions against organized crime, narcotics an dmajor crimes. He also coordinated the corrections and adjudications staff specialists with the writing of the annual comprehensive criminal justice plans that addressed problems and solutions for the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) for block grant funds. By 1974 he was appointed Colorado State Planning Agency Project Director for LEAA's Denver Impact Cities Program assisting Mayor McNichols with the selection of staff, consultants, housing for the staff and equipment needed to implement the $20 million LEAA discretionary grant program. Don's big career move came in 1975 when he took an assignment with the U.S. Department of Justice where he was named as LEAA State Representative to American Samoa, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada. He worked directly with state governors, tribal chieftains and other key state and local officials rebuilding relationships between the Justice Department and the state leaders. From the State Representattive position Don was moved to the Police Technical Assistance program from 1977-1981. He also worked in the White House with President Reagan when he was transferred to the Office of Justice Assistance, Research and Statistics (OJARS). Don continued his career with the OJARS through 1985 when he began working with a small team of professionals to create the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and initiated activities to implement the recommendations of the PResident's Task Force on Victims of Crime and the Attorney General's Task Force on Family Violence. Throughout his career Don worked on or managed programs that helepd victims of abuse and crimes creatively bridging Federal, State and Local enforcement groups in utilizing Federal Funds. Don retired in 1994, as the Program Manager of the Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement with SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics to develop and maintain the National Criminal Justice Computer Laboratory and Training Center. After retiring he was appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno as a hearing officer for the Public Safety Officers Benefit (PSOB) program. Don is survived by his wife, Sara Anderson his six children, Doug, Don and Phil Anderson, Cynthia Szabo, Alicia Leamon and Megan Shartle; seven grandchildren and two grand children. Mass and Funeral Services for Don will be held at Shrine of Saint Anne's Catholic Churhc, 7555 Grant Place, Arvada at 10:00 Saturday Morning, September 2nd.