Emmett Brooke Landrum Jr.'s Obituary
Passed away peacefully in San Francisco on August 11th. 2018, at the age of 92, surrounded by his loving wife Mary Gloria of over 63 years and sons Jeffrey and Patrick. Predeceasing Emmett was Ronald his son.Emmett was born in the train town of Clifton Forge, Virginia on September 1, 1925. He grew up during the depression and was conservative of natural resources throughout his life. Additionally, he was drawn to airplanes at an early age and made model airplanes, which he did well into adulthood. After graduating early from high school at age 17 and with his parent’s approval, he entered the United States Navy and subsequently WWII in early 1943. He was first on the destroyer escort USS Bebas (DE-10) and then the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) where he ended the war near Tokyo. He was then transferred to the seaplane tender USS Kenneth Whiting (AV-14) to serve out his days in the Navy before returning to the civilian life in February 1946.Upon returning from the South Pacific he returned to the East Coast and attended the Roosevelt Aviation School in Long Island, New York and completed his formal training in aircraft and power plant mechanics. He then returned to Virginia and then obtained an airplane mechanic’s job with Greenbrier Air Service at a small airfield in Ronceverte, West Virginia where Emmett started his formal career in aviation and purchased his first of three airplanes, an Aeronca Chief in 1948, which he rebuilt from a wreck. He traded up to a Taylor Craft in 1952 and eventually moved to a Mooney Mite in 1953. He went for an interview at United Airlines in New York and moved to Long Island in 1952 to start his 35 year career with UAL at LaGuardia Airport. Emmett worked on all the airplanes United had during his tenure: Convair, DC-6, DC-8, DC-10, B-720, B-727, B-737, B-747 and L-1011.Then came Gloria! Emmett’s good friend Joe Valdez, who he met on the USS Bebas, introduced the two of them in California and on June 19th, 1955 the two were married in Reno while Emmett was on a 6 day leave from United with Joe and his family, Gloria’s son Ronald and Gloria’s parents Julius and Carmen. Shortly after he returned to Long Island Mary joined him until the spring of 1956 when they drove across the country and moved into an apartment in South San Francisco and he transferred to United Airlines at SFO. Sadly the Mooney Mite was a single seater and he sold the plane before departing New York.On their first anniversary Jeffrey was born. And, in 1957 the four of them moved into their brand new and current home in San Bruno. Emmett never abandoned his Virginia roots and went back to visit his mother, while still alive, and his sister Mary Hardy, her husband John and their 4 sons, John, Tom, Bob and David.In 1963 Patrick was born and the family still took vacations to the east coast and got educated on US presidents, Civil War battles and aircraft at museums in Washington DC, battle fields in Virginia and Presidents’ homes in Virginia. Emmett was an advocate for his sons to learn about US history.In the 70’s the family started to go on road trips to Lake Tahoe and Shasta Lake, where Jeffrey’s best friends moved in 1971. Emmett fell in love with Shasta Lake and subsequently in boating. The family went on 1-3 week vacations to Shasta Lake for years, especially after the Bayliner boat was purchased and kept on the lake year round making it easy for long weekend trips to the lake. He bought boats and ended up owning six all the way into the 90’s.Emmett had a passion for cars as well, owning many throughout his life with many unusual and memorable ones: Renault Dauphine, Plymouth Valiant (which Ronald drove most and hence Emmett had to work on it the most), NSU Sport Prinz, Renault Caravelle, Fiat 850 Sport Coupe, Ford Maverick and Pinto, 1968 Dodge Charger, two Fieros, 1986 Porsche 944 and many other cars throughout the decades. He bought the Porsche in the early 90s and allowed Patrick to autocross (race around cones) it and drove it to almost 270,000 miles on the odometer. He kept this car going no matter what it took!Emmett’s attraction to airplanes covered all aspects of aviation and the Reno Air Races in September each year were one of his favorite spectator sports. He joined several friends from United Airlines to watch races and appreciate airplanes of all kinds for several years in Reno. He was even at the air races with his family when there was a major crash right in front of the grandstands in 2011.Emmett’s love for animals was diverse from dogs, cats, hamsters and fish which brought out his inventive nature. He made gravity automatic feeders for food and water to take care of the cats and dogs in the 60’s before they were commercially made. And, he used a clock motor to feed the fish, which Patrick brought home in the 70’s, every 12 hours before these type of feeders were in wide use. Emmett has many inventive devices to ease everyday activities in his home.Emmett worked at the SFO United Airlines until 1988 when he retired due to becoming dizzy while on ladders. He was able to stabilize his dizziness early in his retirement and started volunteering at the Western Aerospace Museum in Oakland (now the Oakland Aviation Museum), traveled much of the US and the world (many states, Canada, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, China, Australia, Tahiti, Bali) and started participating in reunions of the DESA (Destroyer Escort Sailors Association) and the Bon Homme Richard with Gloria.He worked on vintage aircraft for about 18 years at the museum. The museum was a big part of Emmett’s life with his 50th anniversary and his son Patrick’s SJSU graduation parties there. Additionally, he met Fred Pattterson, who owned several airplanes in the museum, and gave Emmett a volunteer “Job” working on other vintage airplanes at Gnoss Field in Novato. This “Job” was more like a hobby Emmett loved to do and it enable him fly a 1946 Funk airplane. He “Retired” on his 90th birthday in 2015.In 1998 Jeff moved to Connecticut and shortly after Emmett and Gloria started to visit Jeff and his now wife Bobbi Tobin. Emmett found out about the destroyer escort USS Slater on the Hudson River in Albany, New York through DESA. He started volunteering one week a year in May to help restore the ship and did this for 14 years. Because of his great passion to restore the USS Slater, a similar ship to what he was on during WWII, we would like all donations to go to the USS Slater:Destroyer Escort Historical Museum USS Slater DE 766 PO Box 1926 Albany, NY 12201-1926Emmett was a great husband and father who took care of his wife Gloria, his boys and his friends, there were many, and loved animals. A caring soul!Services for Emmett will be held at Skylawn Memorial Park on Thursday, August 23, at 11:00 am. Please see the service information tab of this page for details.In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Emmett’s memory to one of his great passions:USS Slater DE-766 Destroyer Escort Historical Museum PO Box 1926 Albany, NY 12201-1926
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