Stephen Landman

Stephen Harold Landman passed away peacefully at his residence on April 15, 2021, at 77 years of age, in Louisville, Kentucky. He died of complications related to Parkinson’s. He is now at peace after a long struggle with that cruel disease. 

Stephen (known to many of his friends as Steve) was born on September 25, 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Mildred (Silverman) Landman and Austen Landman. He was raised in Cincinnati, along with his older brother Jerry. He then attended Miami University of Ohio, where he got a B.A. in Psychology. He received his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Kent State University, taught at Saint Francis College and Purdue University Fort Wayne, and then earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Oregon. In 1971, he married Janet Tracy; they were married for 24 years and had a daughter together. After he got his doctorate, he and his family moved to Ann Arbor, and he worked in Michigan as a hospital Clinical Director and Chief Psychologist, in addition to running a private practice. After moving to Louisville, he worked as an independent website designer for many years, and he taught psychology at Sullivan University. Over the course of his life, he lived in Ohio, Indiana, Oregon, Michigan, and Kentucky. He was a resident of Louisville for the last 25 years. 

When he was a student at Woodward High School in Cincinnati, he played clarinet in the band. Throughout his life, Stephen continued to have an appreciation for the arts and music (particularly classical music, as well as folk and jazz) and he thoroughly enjoyed going to live performances. Beethoven was his favorite composer, but the Brahms Violin Concerto in D, Opus 77 was one of his favorite pieces of music. You are invited to listen to it in his honor. He was also a friend and a fan of the Louisville-based sculptor Ed Hamilton, and of Louisville-based fiber artist and feminist Mary Craik, and their works.

Stephen also loved dogs. He rescued Clare, his last border collie, from a grossly neglectful “puppy mill” (which had billed itself as a non-profit border collie rescue organization); he then filed a complaint about the place (along with other people), and it was subsequently shut down and the remaining dogs were rescued. He loved to canoe (he named his canoe The Graceful Egret) and spend time in beautiful natural places; he enjoyed being on lakes and rivers, and on the coast (from Florida to California and Oregon), and in the Great Smoky Mountains. He taught himself computer programming (starting in the earliest days of personal computers). Resourceful and clever, he also liked tinkering with and fixing things and making things with his hands; for example, he built a custom dollhouse and a car-seat drawing desk (for long road trips) for his daughter when she was young. He also enjoyed taking photographs, playing chess, smoking the occasional cigar (or in his earlier adulthood, a pipe), watching college football, and going to baseball games, including Louisville Bats games. And he was a lifelong Democrat and a champion of the underdog.  

He was a very supportive father and a gentle and generous person who helped many people as well as animals in need. He was a calm, reserved, kind, accepting, patient, private, exceedingly stoic (and sometimes stubborn) man, with a dry sense of humor, a sweet smile, and at times an impish twinkle in his eye. He had strong hands (which remained strong through his final day), and an indomitable determination to maintain as much physical independence as he could. 

He is survived by his daughter, Miriam Landman, and son-in-law, Jeff Zienowicz, as well as nieces Anna, Hannah, and Emma, nephew Jacob, many dear cousins, grand-nephews Austin, Jason, and Vitaly, and his friend and companion Patty Gibbs, who provided invaluable support to him through many of his most challenging years of Parkinson’s and continued to take good care of his dog Clare when he no longer could. Stephen was pre-deceased by his parents and by his brother, Jerry Landman. 

Thank you to the dedicated staff at Valhalla Post Acute, and thank you to everyone who was a part of Stephen’s life.

Those who wish to make a donation in his memory may want to donate to: the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (or another Parkinson’s organization); the Humane Society, ASPCA, Animal Legal Defense Fund, IFAW (or another animal rescue or protection organization); or the Democratic Party of KY, OH, or MI, the DLCC, DSCC, DNC, or Fair Fight. 

No in-person service is planned at this time. His daughter will contact family and close friends regarding a virtual (online) memorial gathering once that is scheduled, and possibly a small in-person memorial gathering at a later date.

Please feel free to share a fond memory, story, or anecdote about Stephen, in the Comments section below.