On June 11, 2018, Vivian Elizabeth Landis ( nee Brewton) , Beloved wife of the late Paul E. Landis; devoted Mother of Linda C. Landis- Heffernan and husband Mick, Gregory Paul Landis and wife Ann, and Lise Ann Hopson and husband Jack; she is also survived by 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; she was preceded in death by her brother Carl Brewton and granddaughter Alden Landis.
Family and friends are invited to call at the Sterling Ashton Schwab Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville Inc., 1630 Edmondson Ave. Catonsville, MD 21228 on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. There will also be a viewing Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, 711 Maiden Choice Lane. Catonsville, MD 21228. Interment will take place Sunday 10:00 a.m. at Park Lawn Cemetery, Rockville, MD. Online memorials may be made at www.sterlingashtonschwabwitzke.com Memorial Donations may be made to Catholic Relief Services at www.crs.org
Vivian Elizabeth Brewton was born in 1920 to Vernon Ezekiel Brewton and his wife Jessie Lewis Brewton in Pensacola, Florida. Her young mother died of tuberculosis when Mom was only 3 years old, and her father died when she was 10. Mom went to live with her newly married cousins Emma and Shaw Moore, and her brother Carl went to live with other relatives in another state. As a child Mom’s very blonde hair was so white that she was nicknamed “Cotton top”. She loved to roller skate everywhere and as a teenager going out dancing was her passion. Somewhat surprisingly to her, Mom was cast as the lead in her high school play, a melodrama. After high school Mom taught Business English for a time - typing and shorthand; these skills proved invaluable to her throughout her life. Despite living in the warm South, Mom made a trip to New York City at the tender age of 21 to buy a fur coat; she felt no adult woman should be without this asset in her wardrobe. Mom’s impeccable fashion, coiffure, and grooming sensibilities carried through her entire life right up to her last days.
Living so close to the Naval Base in Pensacola, Vivian met a young pilot named Eddie Eisengrein whom she married in 1941. Eddie was Catholic, which led Mom to want to study the faith herself; she converted to Catholicism after they were married. While stationed in California mother learned that her husband’s plane, which he had flown off the aircraft carrier Intrepid, had been shot down over the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly, Vivian had experienced a vision of this catastrophe before she actually heard the news and was therefore prepared when the officers appeared at her door. Throughout her life more such examples of Mom’s intuition, or ESP, manifested themselves and served her well.
It was while returning from a visit with her in-laws in the Rochester, NY, area in 1945 that Vivian found herself riding on a train heading to New York City, then Washington, DC, on her way back to Pensacola. On board she met a young man named Paul Landis traveling with his boss from the National Bureau of Standards, Cledo Brunetti. They were playing with an unusual stretchy, bounceable substance which was a byproduct of their work, and asked Vivian what she thought she might do with it. This led to a meal in the café car, dancing to the tunes of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra at their stopover in New York City, and a year of courtship by letter primarily. (The strange substance, of course, would later become Silly Putty!) Their first dance, by the way, did not go well according to Mom, which was of great concern; however, subsequent dances fortunately brought them in sync. Social dancing became an activity they both enjoyed throughout their lives.
Mom and Dad were married in Pensacola on June 22, 1946. They moved to an apartment in Washington, DC first, then to a house on Menlo Avenue in Silver Spring, MD where they met lifelong friends, became active in St. John the Evangelist parish, and had their three children, Linda, Greg, and Lise. (Dad converted to Catholicism just before Lise was born.) In 1956 Mom and Dad moved to 6304 Landon Lane in Bethesda where they lived happily for the next 43 years. They joined St. Bartholomew’s Parish where Mom volunteered, belonging to the Legion of Mary, doing secretarial work in the rectory, visiting the sick and homebound, working with the Teen Club, Parish Council, etc. Mom’s devout Catholic faith and unwavering spiritual convictions were a hallmark of her life. As our dear friend Tommy Kivlan said recently, she spent her whole life preparing for what she has now – eternal life with Our Lord.
More than anything else, Vivian was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She embraced her role with supreme enthusiasm, optimism, and joy. Motherhood was her gift and her calling; through her example Mom conveyed the idea that this career was every bit as important, worthy, and respectable as the most prestigious of careers. Mom loved to take care of all of us in all kinds of ways. Every dinner consisted of at least five different foods, in a variety of colors. Dinner (as well as breakfasts and any lunches at home) was always a family affair at the kitchen or dining room table unless Dad was out of town on business. Then she would sometimes go on a meal “holiday” and drive us kids to the brand new McDonald’s out on the Rockville Pike! She drove us anywhere and everywhere we needed to be, including daily drives to and from our grade school, Our Lady of Lourdes, over a period of at least 8 years straight, because there was no busing available until Greg was in 8th grade. She drove us to all of our endless dance lessons, horseback riding sessions, sports practices and games, and social events. She drew the line when it came to music lessons, however, and found a teacher that would come to the house – of course he happened to teach accordion, of all instruments! She made many elaborate costumes for Linda’s and Lise’s ballet and character dancing performances, and once whipped up a gorgeous fairy queen costume for Lise the night before a first grade school performance (which is when she got the news that Lise needed a costume) only to find out the next day that dear Sister Marie Josephine did not deem costumes necessary. She loved and took care of Dad for 65 years; she was so proud of him. They adored each other and enjoyed the kind of marriage most people can only dream of.
Mom was the consummate hostess and caretaker, making everyone feel welcome and comfortable in her home, giving her full time and attention to whomever wanted or needed it. She loved to sit down and listen to her children’s stories about school, their friends, their activities, their feelings – everything! Our friends loved talking with her too – at our kitchen table, on the phone, on beach vacations – boyfriends and girlfriends alike could be found hanging out with Mom whether we were there or not! She served as a surrogate mother to many of our friends over her entire lifetime.
In terms of time management Mom’s optimism was legendary. She always believed she could fit every activity in no matter how limited the time frame; hence Mom’s legendary tardiness! In Greg’s 8th grade year he and I shared some hilarious adventures hoisting ourselves into the unfinished crawl space accessed through the ceiling of our carport, then crawling over the rafters in the dark to drop through the opening in the ceiling of our upstairs hall, in order to enter our locked house when Mom underestimated the time needed to get home before we returned from school on the bus.
As a grandmother Mom was peerless. With boundless energy and industriousness she and Dad would come up to New York State or out to the West Coast and plunge in to family life at Greg’s and Lise’s homes, taking care of the kids, cleaning, cooking, fixing, driving, teaching, playing, listening, and generally making herself indispensable. And how her grandchildren loved her! Baba, Gammy, Gwamma, Mima…. No matter what name the grandkids called her, they loved being with her, and Mom adored them. The visiting great-grandkids fought over who could push her in her wheelchair around Charlestown. Mom taught Natalie to read all of her letters by the age of 18 months; we have the video to prove it! Though keen on chores to be sure, Mom also loved to have fun. She could be a hilarious participant in family games of Pictionary, Dictionary, Trivial Pursuit, Scrabble, and Clue, in addition to her lifelong love of the more serious game of bridge. She never ceased trying to convince Lise to learn that game.
Vivian had a curious mind, a quick wit, charm, humor, and graciousness. She loved people and the Lord first, then learning, reading, the arts, museums, the beach, travel, and parties. She encouraged and supported all of us, family and friends alike, in our scholastic, artistic, athletic, social, and professional pursuits. She was a motivator who rejoiced in our successes and celebrated our lives. She was always up for social events or visits from friends and relatives. Her face radiated joy whenever she saw a loved one, or encountered a new face such as a nurse or doctor, even during the last week of her beautiful life. Mom faced the adversities of life with equanimity, rarely becoming ruffled. She dealt with crises calmly, always able to give sound advice and to carry on; she kept her personal disappointments and sorrows to herself. Though she slowed down considerably in the last years she just kept going. Somehow we thought she’d live forever, probably because she had always, always been there for us. Whenever we’d call and ask how she was in recent years, Mom would invariably answer in a cheery voice, “I am just fine!” Truly she was a beloved role model and an unforgettable person, who showed us all how to live a good life. Her passing leaves a gaping hole in our lives; we miss her terribly. But we know we will all meet again, and there will be rejoicing.
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