No matter how many individuals appear in the pages of each edition of Keys Weekly, there are always so many more of our community members who deserve to be recognized. In an effort to shine a spotlight on more of the incredible individuals who live and work in these islands, Keys Weekly is proud to spotlight our Neighbor of the Week feature, dedicated to celebrating a community member with each issue.
Our neighbor of the week is retired I.T. consultant and physician practice manager Eric Anderson. He lives on Plantation Key with his husband, Dr. Stan Zuba. He’s an elected commissioner of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District. Monroe County Commissioner Holly Raschein appointed Anderson to two countywide committees — Art in Public Places and Planning Commission, where he currently serves as vice chair.
How long have you lived in the Keys? This year is going on 29 years.
What drew you to the Keys? We were living and working in Chicago and Stan was exploring options. He saw an ad for a pediatrician job opening with Baptist for an office in Key Largo, a satellite of Baptist Children’s. I could work remotely. We vacationed frequently in Key West before moving to the Upper Keys.
What keeps you in the Keys? Knowing that the winters remain brutal in Chicago and a love for island life. There truly is no place else in the world like the Keys.
What was your occupation? I worked in I.T. for several different investment firms in Chicago and even started my own company, which I ran for 30 years. I then ran Stan’s practice for about 10 years before we retired.
What did you enjoy most about your work? The freedom to make my own hours and work from any location while on vacation, whether traveling in Europe or on a cruise ship.
Weirdest experience you’ve had in life? I was traveling back to Chicago from Vienna. I was there for work. One of the plane’s two engines shut down in mid-flight. We plummeted about 5,000 feet. Nuns were next to me clutching their rosaries and praying. A married couple started saying their goodbyes, telling one another they had a good life. We landed on a military base on a small island of Scotland where the runway was too short for the plane and came to a near-dead stop. A forklift was used to take off passengers five at a time, until all 300-plus were off. It took forever to go through customs then everyone waited in line to use the one telephone booth. No access to luggage and no local currency. It took three days to finally get home.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be? Jesus Christ. I would ask him so many questions, hoping to get all the answers to life.
If you had a superpower, what would it be? I would love to make poverty go away.
Favorite food? Pizza. In high school, I worked at a pizza place and ate it every day. I still love it. My favorite toppings are most any meat and green olives.
Favorite movie? The original “Wuthering Heights” from 1939. I will not see any other movie adaptation of that novel.
What are your hobbies? Baking and traveling. I’m told my chocolate chip cookies are the best people have had. I also enjoy stamp and coin collecting.
Is there a skill/talent you want to master? I would love to learn to paint. I’ve done a couple classes and I really enjoy it.
What are you most proud of as you look back on your life this far? Running my own company for 30 years, learning to bake later in life and investing wisely and early to be able to retire at 61.
Do you have any regrets? I once had a chance to live and work in Europe. But life and aging parents prevented that.
What is the biggest daily challenge you face? Getting out of bed in the morning and not just because I’m not a morning person. As I get older, I am more aware of my body and changes to balance. I make sure I don’t trip and fall.
