Our beloved Father, Grandfather, Brother and Uncle, Claude Edward Landers Jr., 75, was reunited with his beautiful wife, Ann, in Heaven on June 22, 2018. He was born in Ducktown, Tennessee on December 8, 1942, to Claude Edward Landers, Sr., and Ruby Nell (Butler) Landers. Claude moved around the Southern United States in the early part of his childhood due to his father’s work. Soon, the family settled in Longview, Texas, where they would welcome the birth of his brother, Charles.Claude was a 1960 graduate of Longview High School. It was in Longview that Claude first saw the love of his life, Ann Passmore, standing outside of Foster Middle School. He thought to himself “what a beautiful girl with such beautiful big blue eyes.” They would later meet by chance on a blind date, and, after much persistence on Claude’s part, they married on January 3, 1963, in Kansas City, Missouri. They shared the next 60 years of their lives together.
During their marriage, Ann and Claude had two children, Leslie and Jonathan, who both grew up in Plano, Texas. Claude and Ann loved their son-in-law Stoney and daughter-in-law Sarina deeply. He stated that they had been blessed by God when he brought them into our family. During his life, Claude was blessed with four grandchildren, and the happiest times of his life were when he was surrounded by his entire family. He was family man, who always put his children and grandchildren first. Claude shared that it was his family that brought more happiness and pride into his life than he deserved and that he would leave this world a better place because of each of them. His last instructions to his grandchildren were to “always love and protect each other.” Claude will remain forever in our hearts and we will remember the strong love he has for us each day.
He was a natural salesman. After moving to Dallas, he held various sales jobs until he and his wife opened The Toy Barn in downtown Plano in the 1970s. The toy store thrived and was a staple in the community until Ann and Claude sold the store in the early eighties. From that point forward, Claude worked primarily in the janitorial services and supplies field in various levels of management and ownership, although he always seemed to have more than one thing going. Claude worked hard to provide a good life for his family.
His family and friends will remember Claude as a strong, hard-working, family man with a great sense of humor. Over his lifetime, he developed many deep and long-lasting friendships, and he was a role-model for those around him. He was loved and will be missed by many.
Claude leaves behind his children, Leslie Ann Rhodes and her husband, Wayne “Stoney” Rhodes of Plano, and Jonathan David Landers and his wife, Sarina Marie Landers of Houston; grandchildren, Clayton Wayne Rhodes, Colton Edward Rhodes, Christian Alexander Rhodes, and Matthew Lane Landers; brother, Charles Joseph Landers and nephews Corey John Landers, Jacob Allen Landers, and Collin Joseph Landers.
He was preceded in death by his wife and best friend, Ann Landers; and his parents, Claude and Ruby Landers.
A Christian Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 26, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel in Allen, Texas. Interment is to follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas. The family will receive friends and family during a visitation on Monday, June 25, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home in Allen, Texas.