John Terrell Vanlandingham

John Terrell “Terry” Vanlandingham, 76, passed away on July 29, 2024. Terry was born in Houston, Texas on October 11,1947 to John and Nell Vanlandingham. He grew up in Pasadena, TX with his parents and three sisters. His sisters remember Terry being a protective brother and well loved by his peers. His younger sister, Carol remembers Terry being asked to carry a classmate with polio up and down the school staircase when it was time to change classes – which, of course, he did willingly. Older sister Sandra remembers Terry’s many friends calling the house and asking for “The Bear.”

In 1965, Terry graduated from Sam Rayburn HS in Pasadena, TX. He served his country in Vietnam as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army from 1968-1970. After his tour in Vietnam, Terry moved back to Dallas where he met his future wife, Gayla Moore at Mountain View College. Terry and Gayla married June 9, 1973, and would have two children, Jeff and Kelli. 

Terry worked for Metal Building Components, Inc. as a Sales Manager in Oklahoma City and Arlington for 35+ years before retiring in 2015. He really enjoyed his career and made many lifelong friends. 

During their 51 years of marriage, Terry and Gayla lived in Dallas, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, San Antonio, and then Arlington, TX where they have resided for the last 35 years. Gayla has many fond memories of the hours they spent watching Jeff play baseball and supporting Kelli as she served as the manager of the Mansfield Tigers girls basketball team. They enjoyed traveling with their friends, Friday night dinners with “the gang”, playing penny slots, Texas Rangers baseball, and spending time with their three grandchildren. 

Terry also loved to play golf with his buddies. Since becoming Paw Paw, Terry especially enjoyed taking his grandchildren to feed the horses, to play air hockey, and to watch their sporting events. 

Terry was preceded in death by his parents, John and Nell Vanlandingham, his sister, Becky Vanlandingham, and niece, Kathleen Hail. He is survived by his wife Gayla, son Jeff, daughter in-law, Hillary Vanlandingham, daughter Kelli Jeffers and son-in-law, Jonathan, grandchildren Brynlee, Landry, and Cohen Vanlandingham, sister, Sandra and brother-in-law Philip Hail, sister, Carol Vanlandingham, nephew Chris and his wife Melody Hail, niece Jennifer and her husband, Mark Frederiksen, and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews