Tahoe Area Sierra Club chairman Bob Anderson died last week in Kenya after sustaining head injuries from a fatal car wreck, group representatives reported earlier this week.

According to the TASC members, Anderson was celebrating his 70th birthday with a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania with his wife, Grace Proulx of Meyers.

As Anderson made his way in a Land Rover back from the trip, the car rolled, an email from club president Laurel Ames stated.

Anderson sustained fatal injuries to his head, and Proulx is currently in a hospital recovering from her injuries, and her son is with her, the email stated. She is expected to return home soon.

The couple had completed their climb of the more than 19,000-foot mountain, the email stated.

“The Tahoe Area Sierra Club is stunned by the loss of Bob and our hearts go out to his wife Grace who was injured in the accident,” the email stated.

Anderson also participated in functions with the Sierra Club Mother Lode chapter in Sacramento, Ames said.

“Bob served as President of the local bi-state group for several years,” Ames stated in her email. “He was also a member of LTFAC, the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee to TRPA, as well as a board member of the Washoe Meadows Community Group. In addition, Bob was a board member of the Tahoe Institute for Nature Studies.”

Ames said Anderson was an integral part of the TASC.

“He was a steady presence, and he just brought so much wisdom and group dynamics,” Ames said during a phone interview. “He was an absolutely great agenda-setter.”

Ames said she worked fairly close with Anderson during his time with the club, and she said she will most miss “his organizational skills and calm demeanor. We’re worried about Grace and how seriously injured she is. That’s a big concern. It’s weighing heavily on my mind right now.”

The majority of Anderson’s life was spent in Montana, Ames said, adding he traveled to Tahoe because he was interested in its conversation efforts.

TINS Director of Applied Science T. Will Richardson said Anderson provided innovative solutions to the organization.

“He was definitely one of our most active board members, really important part of it,” Richardson said. “He helped with the growth of our organizations, the growth of our membership, and he had lots of great ideas for our organization and fundraisers and potential partnerships collaborations.”

Richardson said Anderson was a pillar of the organization’s ad hoc membership subcommittee.

“It’s a huge hit to Tahoe and the world and everybody in our organization,” Richardson said. “Right now, I’m just thinking about Grace and his family.”

TINS co-executive director Kirk Hardie echoed the sentiments about Anderson’s contributions to the institute’s goals.

“He was a tremendous asset, and his insight and input was tremendous to our programs and our operations in how he helped move us along as an organization in a faster manner than we would have without him,” Hardie said.“He was just one of the nicest people I’ve met.”