Funeral services for John Robert Landress will be 10 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, at Sylvarena Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. Riverwood Family Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements. 

Visitation is from 5 until 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, at the church.

Mr. Landress, 89, of Wesson, died Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, at his residence. He was born Nov. 6, 1926, to John Robert Landress and Eleanor Parker Landress.

Mr. Landress was a World War II veteran serving in the Navy. He was member and deacon of Sylvarena Baptist Church and served as choir director at Sylvarena Baptist Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Macedonia Baptist Church and Wesson Baptist Church. Mr. Landress taught speech and directed dramatic arts from 1956-1992 at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He was a charter member of Brookhaven Little Theatre and consultant for Pike County Little Theatre, director of numerous plays at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Brookhaven Little Theatre and Wesson High School. Mr. Landress was the storyteller for Wesson Attendance Center Kindergarten, Precious Moments Day Care Center, Wesson Baptist Day Care and Copiah-Lincoln Day Care. He was known by the children as “The Puppet Man,” Bible story-teller for children’s ministries at Sylvarena Baptist Church, children’s sermons and at various vacation Bible schools. He was chaplin of the 50 Plus Club, Lion’s Club and American Legion and director of the Wesson High School Puppets from 1976-1991. Mr. Landress has been honored by having the John Landress Award by Brookhaven Little Theatre, named in his honor for excellent achievement in theatre, the John Landress Theatre at Brookhaven Little Theatre named in his honor and the John Landress Circle at Copiah-Lincoln Community College named in his honor. He is the recipient of the Most Distinguished Volunteer of Copiah County Schools numerous times and Grand Marshall of the Wesson Founder’s Day parade. He was also honored in the Focus Magazine as a Distinguished Member of the Community.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers, Willian Chandler Landress and Herman Landress.

Survivors are his wife, Mary Louise Landress; sons, John Robert Landress Jr. and wife, Esta and Kevin Michael Landress and wife, Jennifer; daughters, Daphne Landress Johnson and husband, Earl, and Denise Landress Swogetinsky and husband, Steve; sister, Geraldine Landress Cook; 11 grandchildren, Christopher Earl Johnson, Tabitha Michelle Johnson, Stephanie Lynn Swogetinsky Isbell, Mary Lynn Swogetinsky Johnson, Steven Swogetinsky, Amelia Joy Swogetinsky, Leigh Landress Showman, John Robert Landress III, Noah Andrew Landress, Mary Hanna Landress  and Amelia Faye Landress; and five great-grandchildren, Marley Lynn Johnson, Karma Elaine Isbell, William Peyton Showman, Jackson Robert Showman and Matilda Lennon Johnson.

To express your thoughts to the family, you may visit riverwoodfamily.com and click on his name to leave a comment.