Toby Anderson

Toby Malcolm Anderson, 74, beloved husband, father, grandfather, builder, and friend, passed away on May 17, 2026, surrounded by family.

Born on January 12, 1952, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Toby was the son of George and Margaret (Ayres) Anderson. When he was nine years old, the family moved from Cimarron to Santa Fe, where Toby would spend the rest of his life helping shape homes, friendships, and the community he loved.

Toby grew up in a Santa Fe that lives mostly in memory now. He hunted rabbits in open fields that would one day become St. Michael’s Drive. He walked to Salvador Perez Pool with quarters in his pocket to swim in the summer heat. He served as an acolyte at St. John’s Methodist Church and rode alongside his father, a game warden, on late-night patrols through the mountains and back roads of northern New Mexico. Those early experiences shaped a lifelong connection to the landscapes he loved.

He attended Santa Fe High School, where he played sports before discovering that the real fun was skiing, hiking, fishing, and spending time in the mountains with friends. That love of the natural world never left him. One of his favorite places was standing in the middle of a river with a fly rod in hand, perfectly content whether the fish were biting or not.

Toby found great joy in his family. He raised his daughters in Santa Fe, sharing with them a childhood filled with camping, fishing, mountain adventures, gathering firewood, and the simple pleasures of growing up in New Mexico. Many family traditions were built around time spent together in the places he loved most, and some of his happiest memories involved his children and, later, his grandchildren. He even built a cabin at Heron Lake so that family and friends would always have a place to gather, fish, laugh, and make memories together.

Toby spent his entire adult life in the construction business and was the owner of Anderson and Associates, Inc. for over forty years. Building was more than a profession to him. He loved studying house plans, solving complicated construction challenges, and creating homes that reflected both craftsmanship and practicality. He was deeply respected throughout the Santa Fe building and real estate community for his knowledge, work ethic, fairness, and integrity.

To those who worked alongside him, Toby was steady, loyal, and generous with his time and expertise. In the final days of his life, even while facing his own illness, his concerns remained focused on the people he loved most: his family, crew, subcontractors, and clients. His sense of responsibility to others never wavered.

Toby moved through life with an enduring sense of curiosity and gratitude. Even after decades in Santa Fe, the city never lost its ability to surprise him. Walking downtown in the late afternoon, he would often stop, look up at the golden light on the adobe walls, and say, “Look at that light.” He delighted in pointing out the Santa Fe of his youth: where old gas stations once stood, where he bought his first basketball shoes, where his mother took him shopping for school clothes on the Plaza, and the familiar places he passed on his walk home to Casa Alegre after school. He never lost his appreciation for the beauty, history, and character of the city he loved. Santa Fe and all of New Mexico remained a constant source of wonder throughout his life.

Toby is survived by his brother, Elliott Anderson; wife, Bunny Terry; his daughters, Felisha Anderson Martinez and Kelly Anderson (husband Soren Uhl); grandsons Alex Anderson (wife Jessica), Enrique Martinez, Rem Liebert, and Joseph Martinez; great-grandchildren Malcolm and Kylie Anderson; stepchildren Zachary Murphree (wife Lesley) and Johanna Medina (wife Leasa), and what he affectionately called his bonus grandsons, Nolan and Jake Murphree and Milo Medina. He is also survived by extended family, dear friends, and countless people whose lives were made better by knowing him.

A memorial service will be held in Toby’s honor on June 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Church Santa Fe, 1213 Don Gaspar Avenue.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Girls Inc. As the father of daughters, Toby admired the organization’s mission of inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

Toby’s life was defined not by loudness, but by steadiness, kindness, craftsmanship, humor, and integrity. He cared deeply for the people around him and leaves behind a lasting mark on Santa Fe and all who were fortunate enough to know him.