Baseball field to be named in honor of ‘the face of Kentridge’

Eric Anderson Memorial Field will be part of Petrovitsky Park

Eric Anderson. COURTESY PHOTO

Eric Anderson. COURTESY PHOTO

A baseball field at Petrovitsky Park will be named in memory of Eric Anderson, the athletic director for Kentridge High School who passed away suddenly on July 7.

King County Council members Reagan Dunn and Dave Upthegrove made the announcement Monday, saying the field will be named Eric Anderson Memorial Field.

A dedication ceremony will be at dusk Saturday, Aug. 25 – concurrently with a Fairwood Movie Night – at Petrovitsky Park, 16400 SE Petrovitsky Road, Renton.

A teacher, coach and Kentridge’s longtime athletic and activities director, Anderson died unexpectedly in his sleep at home. He was 57. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office said Anderson died of heart disease.

Described as “the face of Kentridge,” Anderson began teaching in the Kent School District in 1985 at Meeker Middle School, after working in the Tonasket School District. He came to Kentridge High School in 1998 and became the school’s athletic director in 2000. He also served as baseball commissioner of the North Puget Sound League.

Students and staff remember Anderson as an organizer and enthusiastic supporter of sports and academics. He encouraged students in their classrooms and extracurricular endeavors, and was a beloved and compassionate leader and co-worker. A student-organized candlelight vigil held in his honor saw more than a thousand people in attendance.

“Eric Anderson was a great man,” Dunn said. “The positive influence he had on Kentridge High School and its students is immeasurable. His selflessness and dedication were admirable, and we lost him too soon.”

“This is a man who was so incredibly loved and valued by his family, friends, students and community,” Upthegrove said.

“We want to thank Council member Dunn and the King County Council for this special recognition of Eric Anderson’s contribution to the greater Kentridge community and King County over the past 20-plus years,” said David Albrecht, Anderson’s brother-in-law. “This is special and memorable. Eric was well known for his automatic response of ‘Livin the Dream.’ We hope each time a kid takes the field at the newly named Eric Anderson Memorial Field at Petrovitsky Park, the kids and their families are living their dreams in the moment.”

For more information about the dedication event, contact Councilmember Dunn’s office by emailing Reagan.Dunn@KingCounty.gov or calling 206-477-1009.

Anderson is survived by his wife Margy, and their two children, Ian and Maria.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

t
Medical examiner identifies SeaTac man, 21, shot in Kent on West Hill

Khamal J. Blissitt was driving vehicle Nov. 21 on Veterans Drive near Military Road South

State Capitol in Olympia. COURTESY PHOTO, State of Washington
Five 33rd District candidates seek to replace retiring Sen. Keiser

Six Democratic candidates seek state House seat if Orwall or Gregerson chosen as replacement

t
Four WSP vehicles struck in King County, first one in Kent

Crashes during 4-hour period on King County roads; no troopers injured; 3 DUI arrests

File Photo
Kent man, 21, killed in West Meeker Street parking lot shooting

Suspect fired five to 12 shots before fleeing; shooter and victim reportedly knew each other

Courtesy Photo, City of Kent
Kent City Council approves B&O tax increases to hire more police

Additional revenue will pay for four police department positions

t
King County executive will nominate replacements for Upthegrove

District 5, which includes parts of Kent, will get new representative on County Council in January

t
SeaTac man, 21, fatally shot in vehicle in Kent on West Hill

Someone ran up and fired multiple shots into vehicle Nov. 21 at Veterans Drive and Military Road

Kentwood High School, 25800 164th Ave. SE, in Covington, remained without power Thursday morning, Nov. 21, according to Puget Sound Energy. COURTESY PHOTO, Kent School District
Kent schools remain closed due to windstorm damage, power outages

Second consecutive day of closures Thursday, Nov. 21 across the Kent School District

t
Kent-based Puget Sound Fire calls windstorm ‘one for the ages’

Agency responds to 308 calls in 12-hour period, including 245 for storm-related issues

Crews clear trees from State Route 18, which the Washington State Patrol closed in both directions Wednesday, Nov. 20, from Issaquah Hobart to I-90 over Tiger Mountain because of fallen trees during a windstorm. COURTESY PHOTO, Washington State Patrol
Windstorm closes Kent schools, roads due to fallen trees

Many without power in areas of Kent and beyond

t
“Prolific” vehicular theft suspect arrested in Renton

Kent man holds 13 prior convictions and 41 arrests.