Newton C.M. Landis "Newt"

March 3, 2026 at the age of 89. Predeceased by his parents, Newton and Minnie Landis; brother, Frederick (Caroline) Landis. Survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Jo Ann Clark Landis; children, Lauren Landis, Lissa Landis, Clark (Sarah) Landis; grandchildren, Joanna Eldon-Edington, Bohden Landis, Amelia Landis, Zuza Landis; nephew, Ross Landis.

Newt was born in Luray, Virginia and grew up in Front Royal, Virginia where he graduated from Warren County High School. He was an amateur photographer and photographed many school events. He was active in the 4H club and was the state winner of the 1953 Poultry Achievement award sponsored by Ford Tractor division of Ford Motor Co.  He attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he met his wife of 65 years, who was attending Greensboro College in North Carolina. He graduated from Virginia PI  in 1958 and continued his education to the doctorate level at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY where his daughters were born. He published his thesis entitled “Trapping of Particles in Compacting, Moving beds of Solids” in 1968. He moved to the Rochester area in 1969 where his son was born. Newt worked the majority of his career at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY in Chemical Engineering. He was a member of the Global Home of Chemical Engineers and filed numerous patents for coating technologies while working at Kodak. He specialized in photo paper chemistry and worked for several years on the disc camera. 

Newt loved antique cars and spent many hours restoring and transforming each of his unique cars. He owned a Ford Model A, a Ford Model A truck, a 1945 Ford Tractor, a 1932 Mercedes replica, a VW bug and a classic French car, the ‘two horses’ or Deux Chevaux.  He loved to attend car shows and won numerous awards over the years. He loved nothing better than a difficult repair or restoration with jerry-rigged tools and parts.

Newt had a gift for seeing people clearly and compassionately. He was an independent spirit who never felt the need to live by the rules and expectations that society tried to place on him.  He lived by his own strict moral compass built on honesty, hard work, thriftiness and dinner served sharply at 6pm. He cherished the time spent with friends and family and will be dearly missed by those who love him.

A memorial service will be held at the funeral home, (495 N. Winton Rd., Rochester) April 4th at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Newton's name to The Dementia Society of America or The Urology Foundation.    

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