Family, friends and the community of Batavia are mourning the loss of Terry Anderson.
The Batavia native, journalist, author and former hostage has passed away. His family says he died on Sunday at his home in Greenwood Lake, N.Y., at the age of 76.
Some people in Batavia are remembering the challenging years Anderson was held captive and celebratory times when he was finally freed.
Anderson was a Batavia High School graduate whose life changed on March 16, 1985, when Hezbollah militants abducted him in Beirut, Lebanon.
And the people of Batavia never would know how this event would shape their community for years to come.
“Every day we were looking at the news to find out if they were making any headway," said Paula Savage, president and founder of the International Peace Garden Foundation in Batavia. "We were wearing ribbons. We were trying to be there for him."
“The whole community had prayer vigils all the time to try to get him released [and] keep him safe. That was the main thing,” said Friends of Batavia Peace Garden President Barbara Toal.
Yellow ribbons lined the streets and were seen everywhere in town. The number of days Anderson was held in captivity was updated daily on the front page of the local newspaper.
“It was a difficult time. It was heartbreaking. We went through an awful lot, and his heart was broken literally and figuratively,” said New York State Assemblymember Steve Hawley, who attended high school with Anderson. “I think people back then were just hoping in some fashion or another, even though it was an international situation, they brought it back to Main Street Batavia or any city in the state of New York or this nation. It’s a human being that’s in trouble, and we knew him and we wanted him home with his family.”
Hawley was part of the effort to get Anderson released, which finally came to fruition 2,455 days after he was taken hostage.
On Dec. 4, 1991, Anderson was finally released, kicking off emotional celebrations, ceremonies and reunions including a huge welcome home to Batavia celebration.
At the ceremony, Anderson thanked everyone for their support.
“We did hear from time to time what you were doing," Anderson said after his release. "We did from time to time get messages from you, heard about your prayers. They always helped a lot to know that people cared. Sometimes it was pretty dark, pretty grim. And it was good not to feel abandoned. I will always be grateful for that, and I thank you very much.”
It's a gut punch now for the world to hear of the passing of Terry Anderson.
His daughter Sulome Anderson was a young girl, just 7 years old when her dad was released from captivity. She was happily by his side during his homecoming visits. She sends this message:
“I’m obviously just shattered right now," she said. "Though my father’s life was marked by extreme suffering during his time as a hostage in captivity, he found a quiet, comfortable peace in recent years. I know he would choose to be remembered not by his very worst experience, but through his humanitarian work. My family is obviously deeply grieving right now and we need some time to process our loss and organize a memorial. We will announce one in time. Many thanks for all the heartfelt condolences we have received.”
“I’m doing fine," Anderson told Spectrum News 1 in a December 2022 interview. "I’m retired, I’m doing some useful things, finding some charitable things. I hope I’m still being useful to my world, which is what I strive to do.”
Sulome mentioned some of the work she believes her dad would like to be remembered for, including his humanitarian work with the Vietnam Childrens’ Fund, the Committee to Protect Journalists, homeless veterans and many other causes.