Betty Anderson

The appeal of administering public health, however, drew Anderson away from practicing medicine. It was the perfect choice, said former Family Court Judge Betty Vitousek, Anderson's longtime friend.

"She was always reaching out to do something for others," Vitousek said of Anderson, who served as chief of the state's Health Quality Assurance Division from 1980 until her retirement in 1993.

Before joining the state Health Department, Anderson was a Hawaii Medical Association assistant director and clinical director at the Rehabilitation Center of the Pacific.

"My mom was a strong advocate of providing healthcare in the community wherever it was needed," said Bruce Anderson, a former state health director. "She was a role model for me and the reason why I chose a career in public health. She was selfless in action, always forthright."

Betty Anderson was an active member of the Sierra Club, the Outdoor Circle, the Hawaii Trail and Mountain Club and Hawaii Nature Center, before her illness. Her love of flowers inspired her to draw and paint them from age 14.

In addition to her son, Bruce, Anderson is survived by daughters Catherine Anderson and Mary Elisabeth Brown, and five grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.