John "Johnnie Van" Henry Van Landingham Iii

John Henry Van Landingham, III. “Johnnie Van”, 92, of Petersburg, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2014. He was the son of the late John H. and Ann Bell Van Landingham, Jr. and was also preceded in death by three sisters, Mary Robertson, Jean Lombardi, and Ann Van Landingham. Mr. Van Landingham graduated from Petersburg High School in 1939 and went on to graduate first in his class at Virginia Military Institute Class of 1943, with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He was also First Captain of the Corps. He was a U.S. Army Veteran who proudly served our country during WWII in France and Germany, earning the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Air Medal. In 1945 he married his wife of 69 years, Shirley Turner Van Landingham, and after WWII, he returned to the City he loved to begin working and raising a family. Johnny Van went to work for Builders Supply Company of Petersburg in 1949 and was serving as Chairman of the Board when it closed in 2012. He was a lifetime member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where he has served multiple times on the Vestry and as Jr. and Sr. Warden. He served one term on the Petersburg City Council in 1970, was a past board member of the Virginia Building Materials Association, Past board member of the Virginia First Savings and Loan Bank; a 60 plus year member of the Country Club of Petersburg where he loved to golf and is a past President; and a longtime member of The Fifty Five Golf Association. Mr. Van Landingham was also a past chairman for the United Fund Campaign, a member of the Petersburg Rotary Luncheon Club since 1949 and has served as its President, and a member of the Southside Virginia Emergency Crew since 1949 where he severed as President of the board multiple times. Mr. Van Landingham is survived by his wife, Shirley; three sons, John H. Van Landingham IV and wife, Martha, James P. Van Landingham and wife, Winifred, Kevan E. Van Landingham and wife, Debara; seven grandchildren, John V, Cassady, Susan, Frederick, Nathan, Julia and Alec; four nephews, John “Van” Robertson, Nicholas, John and V. Patteson Lombardi; and a niece, Ann Lombardi. A funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Wednesday, December 10th at 11:00 AM followed by a reception in The Parish Hall. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The VMI Foundation, P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450 or to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 110 North Union St., Petersburg, VA 23803. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com