John Phillip Landgrave passed away peacefully on September 24th, 2021 surrounded by family in his home of 46 years. Dr. Landgrave, a native of Marion, IN, graduated from Beechwood High School in 1953 and Eastern Kentucky University in 1957. He began his church music career at First Baptist Church in Opelika, AL. An army enlistment sent him to Ft. Benning, where he served at Eastern Heights Baptist in Columbus, GA. It was there he met a beautiful 17-year-old named Gloria King. They were married soon after and would have celebrated their 62nd anniversary on October 4th. While he was in the army as a Bandsman, he received the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service and exceptional compositions.
The Landgraves relocated to Louisville so that Phil could attend seminary. After his graduation, Dr. Landgrave served as a professor of church music at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1965-2000 and remained as emeritus after that. During his time in Louisville, he acted as minister of music in 9 churches in the area (Beth Haven Baptist Church, First Baptist Danville, Baptist Tabernacle, Broadway Baptist, Hurstbourne Baptist, Lyndon Baptist, Parkland Baptist, Walnut Street Baptist and Lakewood Baptist). Sabbaticals led him to ministry positions at Green Street Baptist Church in Gillingham, Kent, UK and Magnolia Avenue Baptist in Riverside, CA.
During his time at the seminary, Phil wrote several well-known cantatas and anthems such as Purpose, from which the hymn “Just as I Am” was taken for the Baptist Hymnal. Phil woke up with music playing in his head and wrote copiously every day for most of his life.
He formed the Seminary Vocal Ensemble as a mission-minded choir and took the group to different locations in the US and abroad every other year, writing a collection of music for that location in the native language to be shared with the churches involved. The vocal ensemble travelled abroad to places such as Korea, Venezuela, Brazil, Trinidad, Panama, Hong Kong, Russia, and England.
Phil was full of life and energy, never sitting still unless he was composing or asleep. There was always some sort of building project (decks, furniture, etc.) going on, some tennis game, card game, or bowling match to be played. He loved to laugh, particularly at his own jokes and puns. For example, at the end of each meal, he proclaimed himself “full-philled.”
Phil is survived by his brother David, his wife, three of his four children (John Timothy Landgrave, Mary Suggs, and Margie Yankeelov), 13 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death earlier this year by his oldest son, Kevin. We are sure they are singing their hearts out together. We loved him so and will miss him terribly, but we know that the song goes on.
