Alden Landis

The world lost a brave heart and captivating spirit on December 20, when our beloved Alden was killed in a car accident near the coast of Mozambique. Pursuing her dreams with her usual fierce determination, Alden was serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer, assigned to teach Chemistry to high school students in Chissano. During her 23 years Alden graced the lives of countless people with her joy, strength of purpose, offbeat humor, and loving heart. She dazzled all of us with her exuberant style, passion for music, and vibrant art. Her beautiful soul glows every day and embraces all who’ve known her.

Born in 1988 in San Francisco, Alden moved with her family to the Seattle area when she was eight years old, leaving behind friends and sunshine on the condition of a promised family dog. Her infectious laugh rang through the halls of St. Thomas School in Medina and University Prep in Seattle, where she graduated with flying colors despite the occasional run-in with the administration. She loved and excelled at soccer, tennis, sailing, softball, yoga, and backpacking, and wrangled her friends and family into everything she did. Before and after Hurricane Katrina, Alden worked on housing restoration projects in New Orleans, and she invented summer adventures for campers in Sarajevo, Bosnia with the Global Children’s Organization.

In 2010 Alden graduated from Boston University, where she majored in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, spent a semester in Paris conducting cystic fibrosis research, ran as a bandit in the Boston marathon, and played the crocodile in Peter Pan in her theatrical debut. Prior to her Peace Corps service, she lived in Montpelier and taught English, traveled through Spain, Portugal and Morocco, ran the Paris Marathon legitimately, and spread her incomparable charisma.

Alden surrounded her family and friends with infinite love and enthusiasm, inspiring us all with her never-ending adventures -- early-morning runs, sailing in Lake Washington, dancing the tango on a Boston sidewalk, skiing through the trees of Whistler, ice-skating after midnight in Bellevue, and surfing any wave that came her way. Alden always searched for the deeper substance of a person and spent whatever time and energy it took. The world has lost a tremendous force for good, but our Captain Alden will forever be a part of us.

A celebration of Alden’s life will be held at University Christian Church, 4731 15th Ave NE in Seattle, at 11:00 a.m. January 14. Donations may be made in memory of Alden to the “Alden Landis Memorial Fund,” which supports grassroots development projects in Mozambique initiated by Peace Corps Volunteers and their community partners. Please visit the Peace Corps link at https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.donatenow&keyword=SPF Alternatively, donations in Alden’s honor may be made to the Global Children’s Organization at http://globalchild.org/new/

Parking, for the memorial service, is available in the lots of two adjacent churches. University Presbyterian has three lots – one at the corner of NE 47th Street and 15th Ave NE; one mid-block on 15th Ave between NE 45th and NE 47th Streets, and an underground garage whose entrance is mid-block on 16th Ave NE, between NE 45th and 47th streets. University Lutheran also has a lot that can be used at 1604 NE 50th Street. Free parking is also available at the parking garage at 4545 15th Ave; the entrance is mid-block between NE 45th and NE 47th Streets.

Arrangements entrusted to Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Bellevue, WA.