Carl Landman

1920 - 2011

Carl Landman
September 13, 1920 - September 20, 2011
Resident of Palo Alto

Carl Landman, a resident of Palo Alto, died peacefully on September 20, 2011 surrounded by his family shortly after suffering a serious stroke. He was born on September 13, 1920 in Mannheim Germany where his father owned a printing plant. His idyllic childhood of ski holidays and hikes in the Black Forest ended abruptly with the rise of the Nazi regime. In 1940 he immigrated to New York with his mother and siblings, his father having died of cancer in London. In 1943 he married Doris in Camp Hale Colorado, where Carl was serving as a member of the US army's 10th Mountain Division ski troops. He was sent to Italy and served as a translator at the end of the war. Following the war Carl and Doris moved to San Francisco and then Menlo Park where they raised their 4 children. He began his career as an estimator in lithography which he had learned from working in his father's business. In the mid 1950's he founded an imported candy brokerage. By the early 60's Carl was selling fancy coffees for a small gourmet roaster on Monterey's Row. He pioneered the sales of packaged gourmet coffee to supermarkets. The business flourished and in 1981 the family established its own brand, Landmark Coffee. Carl is survived by his wife Doris Landman, sister Lotte Hirsch, daughter Pat Landman-Herriot, sons Paul and Jim Landman, 7 grand children and 2 great grand children. He was pre-deceased by daughter Susan Fisher in 1995. A memorial service will be held on Saturday October 29th at 2:00 PM at Channing House in Palo Alto. Donations in memory of Carl may be sent to Gateway Center of Monterey (a group home for adults with developmental disabilities where his son Paul lives).