Daniel Edward Landis died June 28, 2023 at the age of 81.  Mr. Landis was born November 29, 1941 in Joplin, Missouri, the second son of D.E. and Roberta Patrick Landis.  Following graduation from Coffee County High School in Enterprise, AL he enrolled in The College of William and Mary in the fall of 1959 where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology (1963.)  He continued his studies at William and Mary earning his Master of Education degree and later a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Education.  As an undergraduate he was a founding member of the college's chapter of the national service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega.  As a graduate student he was inducted into both Kappa Delta Pi, and Phi Delta Kappa honor fraternities.

As a boy he was active in Scouting in Wichita, Kansas and in Enterprise, Alabama earning the Silver Award in Exploring, God and Country Award, and was a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow.  He was also an Eagle Scout.  Beginning in 1959 he was active in Scouting in Williamsburg, serving many years as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 103, then as Advisor to Explorer Post 132, and later as Skipper of Sea Scout Ship 222.  He was honored to be asked to serve as Scoutmaster for the Brownsea Island Experience, and he served as District Advisor to the Northern Star District of the Order of the Arrow.  In 1962 he earned the Scouter's Training Award and in 1972 he received the Silver Beaver Award from the Peninsula Council, BSA.

His first professional job was teaching at James Blair High School in Williamsburg from 1963-1965.  Following graduate work he returned to the classroom in January, 1966 at Reservoir Elementary School in Newport News.  In 1967 he was appointed Instructional Specialist for the Newport News Public Schools where he supervised student teachers, supervised new teachers and, in 1969, he served as acting Director of the Laboratory Center for Reading before being named Principal of Carver Elementary School for the next six years.

Following additional graduate study he accepted the position of Headmaster at Trinity Lutheran School in Newport News.  After many years as Headmaster he returned to his first love, the classroom.  He taught the Talented and Gifted program at Dozier Middle School in Newport News, and was named Teacher of the Year in 1989.  He coached three successive Odyssey of the Mind State Championship Teams from 1989 to 1996. He was then asked to teach in the International Baccalaureate Program at Warwick High School in Newport News where he was named IB Teacher of the Year in 2000.  He remained at Warwick until his retirement in 2005.  One of the things of which he was most proud was having been selected for recognition five times by students at Virginia's Governor's School.

Mr. Landis was very active in Peninsula musical circles.  He earned a Certificate in Church Music from Virginia Wesleyan College in 1991.  He served as Vice President of the Virginia Choral Society, Assistant Conductor of the York River Orchestra, and was the founding Director of the Three River's Men's Chorus.  He served as organist and choir director at a number of area churches ending his career as Director of Music at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Yorktown.

He was an active member of a number of community and professional organizations including the American Guild of Organists, the Yorktown Chorale, the Virginia Geographical Society, the Virginia War Museum, the Robert Boyle Legacy Society, and he was an Overseas Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Society.

Dan was a great lover of travel.  In his early years he enjoyed snow skiing, water skiing, whitewater canoeing, hiking and camping.  In his later years he made twenty-eight trips to Europe and enjoyed several Caribbean cruises.  His favorite quote was: "Too many people tiptoe carefully through life hoping to arrive safely at death."

Left to cherish his memory are his brother, John Landis and niece Debbie Miller (both of Moore, Oklahoma); life-long friends Robert Gates (Mt. Vernon, WA) and Carlton Hardy (Newport News); his church and choir family; and close friends and former students: Zach Soter (Norfolk), Daniel Varela (Raleigh, NC), Bill Wilds (Newport News), and Jason Holden (Yorktown).

A memorial service will be held at St. Mark Lutheran Church, 118 Old York-Hampton, Yorktown, VA 23692 on Saturday July 15, 2023 beginning at 2:30 PM with a special program of music to honor his passion for music, followed by the memorial service.  Donations in Dan's memory may be made to the organ fund of St Mark Lutheran Church.

Arrangements are by Berceuse Funeral and Cremation Traditions in Hampton, 757-825-8070.