ILONA "Lonie" LANDFIELD

ILONA LANDFIELD "Lonie"  
On May 21, 2019, Ilona "Lonie" Landfield died peacefully at home surrounded by her family. Strong in body and spirit, she lived well with a rare cancer for almost ten years, making the most of each day. She ended the contest gracefully, as she had lived. A graduate of the University of Michigan with an M.A. in German from Northwestern University, Lonie met her husband Rich when she visited her Michigan housemate in Cambridge. That started an almost 54-year marriage, resulting in three daughters, Katharine Landfield (Morgan Landy), Anne (Grant Greig), and Sarah; five grandchildren, Brendan, Jamie, Evie, Lilly, and Finn; and too many friends to count. She is also survived by two sisters, Gaby Winkel (Bernie) and Mary Margaret Leu (Dave). As she raised her girls and managed a household, she found time to cater parties for friends and word-of-mouth customers, run a cooking school, become a real estate agent, and teach water aerobics at a variety of local pools, including Yates Athletic Center at Georgetown University. Her favorite endeavor was teaching water aerobics, where she developed lasting friendships with many of her students. Along the way she volunteered with Jr. League of Goodwill Industries, was a member of the Ladies Board of Children's Hospital, a member of the Women's Committee of the Washington National Opera, and was President of the Thrift Shop on P Street. She was an enthusiastic, steady tennis player. She loved planning parties and helping others plan parties. She loved people and being with others. Her friends knew and appreciated that Lonie always told the truth. Above all, she was a great mother, grandmother, and her husband's best friend. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 30, 2019, at Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her honor to Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown Hospital; Children's National Medical Center; Montgomery County Humane Society; or the hospice of Jewish Social Service Agency.