Every once and a while you meet someone who truly loves their job. Tobie Anderson was one of those people.
In my 30 years of working for newspapers I have met, worked with and supervised many dedicated, smart and hard-working people. We all stay in this industry for reasons other than getting rich. Tobie was special when it came to his job at The Spotlight.
He delivered Spotlight products to stores and distribution points across the Capital District and took his job seriously, very seriously.
He and I would have a routine each month when he delivered our monthly magazines and it always would start with a question.
“I have a question for you,” he would say, then clarify. “Well… a few questions.”
It would always be followed by something concerning his deliveries. He would want to know exactly when the trucks were coming in, how come they were late, why were five bundles short one paper and others two over and which driver would be delivering what that month. Sometimes he would drive me nuts, but I couldn’t be mad at him. I knew he was asking because he really loved and cared about what he was doing.
There were many times he knew more about the delivery of Spotlight products than I did. He had the cell numbers of all the drivers and would have them call him the night before the papers went out so he could meet the truck, help the driver unload and get his delivery for the next morning. The printing plant would sometimes call him if the shipment was going to be late before calling me because they knew he would be waiting. When talking with his wife Dorothy last week about his routine, she said he would plan his week and even vacations around the delivery schedule of The Spotlight.
Two months ago, Tobie made the decision to give up his last routes to address his health. It was a real hard transition for him. We were shocked when we received word of his passing this week at 71.
So, why was he the Spotlight Viking, you may ask?
We have people from all backgrounds and they are knowledgeable in many areas outside of newspapers. Tobie was an expert in Swedish history and professional wrestling. Over the years, he wrote articles for The Spotlight that were not just historical, they were his history.
His parents were immigrants to America that settled in Jamestown, N.Y. and his heritage played a large role in who he was. In one of his Spotlight articles he wrote humorously:
“My father even went down the path of name change from Larson to Anderson. Since everyone knew him as ‘Andy’ Anderson, that name change saves me from being nicknamed ‘Larceny’ today!”
He would attend conferences and meetings for Scandinavian heritage at least once a year where he would teach sessions in Swedish history and culture. He held bachelor and master’s degrees in political science and was retired after a 30-year career from the State. He never spoke of those things while here because his focus was always on his Spotlight duties and his customers.
Tobie was a fixture here at The Spotlight and it was important for him to be present at every event. Last Halloween, he arrived at the office dressed in a Viking helmet with long braids. He simply said, “I am Viking, so this is really not out of character.”
We will miss Tobie Anderson and we are glad he stopped at Spotlight Island during his life’s exploration.
— John McIntyre
