FALMOUTH – Bennett J. Landis, of Falmouth, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 4, 2021. He was 98 years old.

Born on Jan. 27, 1923 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Abe and Hannah Leibowitz, Bennett grew up in Brooklyn with an older sister Eleanor and younger brother Mark. Following his graduation from Erasmus High School, Bennett continued his education at Philadelphia Textile Institute in Pennsylvania where he was a member of the school’s varsity basketball team. He then joined the military service and served in Army intelligence during WWII. After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1945, Bennett went into the family business, L. Leibowitz and Sons, located on Greene Street in lower Manhattan where he worked for more than 30 years. The business involved buying and recycling woolen waste and prompted him to travel extensively throughout New England, including Maine, as well as throughout Europe. During these years he developed many business relationships that became lifetime friendships.

In 1943, Bennett met the love of his life, Barbara Rosenbloom. Shortly after they met, Bennett told Barbara he was going to marry her. Her response was: “What makes you so sure I am going to marry you?” They were married in New York City on June 1, 1947 and the couple had two children, a daughter Leslie and a son Peter who grew up in the family home in Woodmere, N.Y.

In the late 1970s, Bennett sold the woolen waste business and real estate on Greene Street and went to work on Wall Street at a small securities firm in which his childhood friend Kenneth Ellis was a trader. Barbara and Bennett subsequently sold their home on Long Island and moved into Manhattan. While living in the city, they built their dream home on property they had purchased in the Berkshires in Massachusetts near the summer camp Bennett and his brother Mark attended as youngsters. They permanently moved to their weekend home in the Berkshires in the mid-1980s and spent the next 20 years enjoying retirement and socializing with their many friends. During this time, they wintered in Tucson, Ariz. There, Bennett developed a great appreciation for the desert landscape as well as for Western and Native American art. He also began honing his own artistic skills, creating numerous beautiful and treasured sculpture pieces. Throughout his life, Bennett was an avid collector of paintings, sculpture, and other artistic pieces. He and Barbara also loved to travel and took numerous trips all over the U.S., Europe and China. Bennett was also an avid golfer and enjoyed playing tennis, though he would be the first to tell you he never came close to perfecting these games.

In 2006, Bennett and Barbara sold the home they cherished in the Berkshires and moved to Falmouth to be close to their daughter Leslie Reis who lives in South Freeport, and their son Peter Landis who lives in Cape Elizabeth. In 2016, Barbara and Bennett moved to Oceanview at Falmouth.

Bennett was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Eleanor Prager, and his brother, Mark Landis.

He leaves behind his wife, Barbara of 74 years; his daughter Leslie and her husband Michael Reis, his son Peter and his wife Karen Hartley Landis. Bennett also leaves behind his beloved grandchildren, Rachelle Willard and her husband Julian Willard of Marlborough, Mass., Aaron Reis and his wife Margo Reis of Falmouth, Emily Jackson and her husband Crosley Jackson of Cape Elizabeth, Hanna O’Meara and her husband Sam O’Meara of Cape Elizabeth, and Sarah Burkholder and her husband Dave Burkholder of West Seneca, N.Y. Bennett also leaves behind nine wonderful great-grandchildren who have given him such enormous pleasure and joy. Beyond all else in life, family meant everything to him.

The last three months before his death Bennett lived in Falmouth House at Oceanview. The family would like to extend its appreciation to the staff at Falmouth House for the compassionate care provided to Bennett. His family also wishes to thank all the incredible caregivers with Aging Excellence and the folks at Compassus Hospice who provided Bennett with such attentive care, comfort and compassion as he travelled on his journey these last months.

The family will be celebrating Bennett’s life in a private ceremony.

Copy the Story Link