Second Ward Neighborhood Block Club & Crime Watch

JAMES “JIM” LANDERS DIES AT AGE 63

Was active in Suydam Street Garden and other local projects

On Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27, 2008) at age 63, James Michael Landers, lifelong resident of New Jersey, lost his battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) at St. Agnes Hospital, in Philadelphia. Jim was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Oct. 29, 1945 at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital and the following year moved with his mother Phyllis and father Everett to Whitehouse, N.J.. Jim and family, including brothers Jerry and Rett, moved to Middlesex Borough in 1954.

He graduated from Middlesex High School, attended Syracuse University and later graduated from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. He lived in Martinsville, Tewksbury Township, Laurence Harbor and New Brunswick. In early 2008, he and his wife Miryam moved to Old City, Philadelphia, Pa.

Jim lived a rich, full, and never-dull life! He spoke multiple languages, loved music of all genres and ate exotic foods on his travels around the world; he was never afraid to try something new.

While ALS cut his life short, he truly lived every minute of every day, always looking for a new adventure. This Mensa member was a gifted child who later became a brilliant man with a thirst for new experiences.

He was in the U.S. Army Reserves during the Vietnam War. In his 30s, Jim earned his pilot’s license and bought a four-seater airplane. He often flew with his family, taking them on wild adventures that others might only dream of doing. Years later, he shifted gears and discovered his passion for sailing. He bought a modest sailboat and over many months of hard work and perseverance, he earned his sea captain’s license. He sailed his boat, Dreamer, up and down the Atlantic coast into the Caribbean, taking friends and family along the way; he was a fearless and brave man who always saw the glass half full, never half empty.

Jim’s strong work ethic, passion for challenges, and his ability to mix business and pleasure helped create rewarding work experiences for himself, his employees and his employers. He worked for Johnson and Johnson Corporate Headquarters in New Brunswick, for nearly 27 years and his most recent position, manager of information management of the Internal Audit Department, found him traveling to J&J sites around the globe. Jim earned countless awards and certificates in business management from accredited business schools around the country, as well as taught business classes at Rutgers, New Brunswick. He retired from J&J in 2004, but began a consulting career with BackOffice Associates where Jim’s expertise in information systems and fluency in Spanish landed him assignments in Mexico. Tom and Trish Kennedy, owners of BackOffice Associates, headquartered in South Harwich, Mass., described Jim as a “hard working loyal consultant and friend who left a lasting impact everywhere he went.”

Jim was predeceased by his brother, Jerry, and father, Everett. Jim is survived by his wife, Miryam of Philadelphia, Pa.; Jim’s son, Christopher and his wife, Tracy Traenkle and their son, Owen of Ft. Collins, Colo.; his daughter, Stephanie Landers of Plainsboro; mother, Phyllis Landers of Monroe Township; brother, Rett Landers of Hudson, Wis., and his wife, Cindy, and daughters, Allison and Ashley; Miryam’s children, Jose Escobar, Cesar Escobar, Claudia Vernaza and her husband, Juan, and their children, Valeria, Alicia and Vicente of Princeton Junction; stepmother, Gloria Landers pf Bayonne; former wife, Sally Landers of Newtown, Pa., and former wife, Heather Macleod of Laurence Harbor.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, Jim and his family ask that people give to the ALS Association with the hope that one day a cure can be found for this devastating and cruel disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Donations can be pledged in Jim’s name by going to ALS Web site, www.alsa.org, and clicking on the “donate” section. Donations may also be made during a celebration of Jim’s life planned for early spring 2009.

Reprinted from the Home News Tribune, December 4, 2008

Posted on February 24th, 2009 by admin0
Filed under: News