Roll Call Tribute

James Ralph Landers, MSGT (Ret) 

March 12, 1954 - January 31, 2025 

James Ralph Landers, 70, of Abilene, Texas passed away January 31st, 2025. Services with military honors will be under the direction of and at Elmwood Funeral Home. Visitation will be Saturday, February 8th, 2025 at 1pm, memorial service at 2pm, and interment immediately following in Elmwood Memorial Park. Brother Bob Cheatham will be officiating. He passed at Hendricks Hospital from cardiac arrest and complications from pneumonia and kidney failure.

He was born in Abilene, Texas, on March 12, 1954, to Eldon and LaVern Blackburn Landers.

Ralph married Debra Louise Stinchcomb at Fort Sill, Oklahoma on January 24, 1981. They were married for an amazing 40 years before she passed in 2021. They had one precious child, Katie Louise Landers, who preceded her parents in death in 2005. He is also predeceased by his parents, sister, Jan Landers, brother, Mike Landers, niece, Helen Pumphrey, and sister-in-law, Donna Landers.

Ralph graduated from Cooper High School. While in school, he was very involved in 4H. He attended Texas A&M where he was a member of the ROTC before joining the US Army full time, where he served his country for 21 years. Ralph was an artillery man, serving in Germany, Korea, Ft Sill, OK, and finally as a Senior Enlisted Non-Commissioned Officer in the ROTC program at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania before retiring in 2020 as a Master Sergeant. After retiring from the Army, he went back to school to become a machinist. He then worked at Martin Sprocket & Gear in Abilene until he retired for the second time. He lovingly devoted his time to care for his beloved wife, Debra, thereafter.

Ralph was known for his dry sense of humor. He had a brilliant mind as evidenced by his being invited to be a member of Mensa. Reading was a favorite past time, particularly historical books. Recreationally, he really enjoyed going to the dog park and meeting and conversing with lots of people there while letting his fur babies, Jamie and Spot, play. In fact, that is where he met his current wife, Sarah. Sarah was a bright spot in the last years of Ralph’s life. They married on February 9th, 2024. She was his constant companion and sidekick and kept him in line (most of the time) with his medical care.

Ralph is survived by his sweet wife, Sarah Montalvo Landers (Abilene), brother, Eldon Ray Landers, Jr., LTC USA Ret. (Denton), and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. The family would like to recognize and thank his cousin, Jerry Drummond, for being there for Ralph and us, especially in the last days of his life. In lieu of flowers, donations in the name of James Ralph Landers may be made to The National Kidney Foundation.