Lester Paul Vanlandingham

Friends in Hartford remember Lester Paul Vanlandingham, who died on July 17, 2026 at 90. Born on July 3, 1936 and raised among Swedish-American manners that never needed a speech. Early on, he decided that a paycheck and a handshake should weigh the same. He threw switches that kept cars from inventing their own routes. A switch-lantern wick trimmer rode in his pocket like a spare prayer. Colleagues still mention a switch-lantern wick trimmer. He married Frances in 1961. They kept a house that stayed modest when the neighborhood did not. They raised two children through public schools and ordinary weather. After Frances died in 2019, he kept the routines that still made sense: the walk, the garden, the Sunday call. Neighbors remember a wave from the driveway that meant you were seen. Mornings were his favorite shift at home. He died in Hartford, on streets that already knew his pace. The Sunday call still has a time slot in the house.