Anacortes counselor vanishes; search for him here continues

Published 11:11 pm Wednesday, January 20, 2010

SULTAN — Chris Anderson believes his brother was last seen here two weeks ago.

No one has heard from him since.

Keith Anderson, 62, of Anacortes, left his home late the afternoon of Jan. 6 and never came home. Family members believe the retired school counselor went to see an acquaintance in Snohomish County.

Family and friends held a vigil at an Anacortes park last week. More than 150 people, many of them former students at Anacortes High School, where the missing man worked for years, braved the rainy, windy night to pray for Keith Anderson to come home.

On Saturday, about 60 people came to lend a hand at a search party. They distributed hundreds of fliers across Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and Island counties, Chris Anderson said.

Keith Anderson is described as white, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds. He has blue eyes, graying brown hair and a gray beard.

He was last seen driving his white 1999 Ford Ranger pickup truck with a matching white canopy, license plate number B08111F.

Anyone who may have seen Keith Anderson or his vehicle is asked to call Anacortes police at 360-293-4684.

Detectives so far have found little information to help lead them to the missing man, Anacortes police Capt. John Small said. They are working with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office to follow up on any leads they get.

Keith Anderson didn’t have a cell phone with him the day he left home, Chris Anderson said.

He grew up in Anacortes and served the community as a beloved counselor to many students.

“Keith was known as a counselor who is very caring and compassionate,” said Chris Borgen, the Anacortes School District superintendent. “He had a wonderful smile and light humor, and worked exceptionally well with students and parents who were struggling.”

He retired from the high school about three years ago, Chris Anderson said.

As news of his disappearance spread across Western Washington, former students wrote dozens of heartfelt comments on news Web sites.

The missing man’s son, Jake, is featured on the Discovery Channel show “Deadliest Catch,” Chris Anderson said. Jake Anderson had to leave for Alaska the day after his father left home.

Family members hope Keith Anderson will be found safe.

“We don’t know what to do, and we don’t know what to think,” Chris Anderson said. “We will keep looking and praying, but we also have to go back to our lives.”

Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.