Carl J. Landi

Carl J. Landi passed away on February 16, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Carl was predeceased by his son, James Landi (2011), his great granddaughter Renée Landi (2014), and his only sibling, Louis Landi (2014).

Carl was born on September 3, 1931, in Washington, D.C. to Bruno and Stella Landi. Known to many as "Little Stoop," Carl graduated from McKinley Technology High School in 1950. He quickly put his skills to work as an offset pressman at National Litho Co. from 1950 to 1953.

After three years of printing, Carl took his talents to a higher calling and enlisted in the Army, serving in Korea from 1953 to 1955 as a Corporal in Battery A of the 21st Anti-Aircraft Artillery AW Battalion (SP). He proudly earned the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, and United Nations Service Medal. Once his service was done, he returned to the printing world for another six years at his previous job.

In the spring of 1956, Carl met the love of his life, Elizabeth “Betty” , at a going-away party for Betty’s friend. His entrance into the party was made possible by the crucial presence of a case of beer (thank goodness for that!). From that moment, Carl’s world was forever changed. They spent nearly every day together, and on May 4, 1957, they were married at St. Anthony’s Church in NE D.C. The two celebrated 67 years of marriage and raised six wonderful children: Michael, Mary, Rosemarie, Jim, Annmarie, and Teresa. Carl was also a proud grandfather of eleven and a great-grandfather to four surviving great-grandchildren.

In 1961, Carl embarked on a new chapter, joining the National Security Agency (NSA) as a civil servant, where he worked on classified printing presses for 35 years. He retired in 1995, but his post-retirement years were just as busy. For nearly three decades, Carl stayed active—whether it was shuttling his grandchildren to their various events, enjoying beach vacations, hitting the links for a round of golf, a game of bocce or being an unwavering Washington Redskins fan. His all-time favorite Redskin was none other than the legendary Sammy Baugh.

Carl was not just a dedicated father and hard worker, but he was also deeply involved in his community. A loyal parishioner at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Hyattsville, MD, he supported his children’s school activities and volunteered for many community organizations. His contributions included coaching softball and basketball, umpiring church league softball games (his calls were questioned more than once), and running the kitchen or calling bingo games during parish events. He was a jack-of-all-trades with a heart of gold.

Most of Carl’s close friends have gone before him, but he cherished every moment spent with them—whether it was on the golf course or catching up over a phone call. He had a knack for making people laugh, always armed with a collection of dad jokes that never failed to get a chuckle (or an eye-roll). His humor was infectious, and he always made sure everyone felt welcome, whether they were family or friends. And no matter how late it was, he’d always remind us, “Call me when you get home.” Dad’s Home now, and I wish we could get that call to let us know that he got there safe.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Brain Foundation (www.americanbrainfoundation.org), which promotes and invests in research across the whole spectrum of brain disease, including Alzheimer’s disease and brain aneurysm.