From Mark Landells

Dear Michelle and family,
My name is Mark Landells from Australia. My mother is Pat Landells and we have just received the phone message you left her advising of Tim's passing.

Unfortunately you did not leave your phone number for us to return your call. Pat no longer lives at home. On behalf of Pat and my brothers Scott and Tony I would like to express our deepest sympathies at the passing of Tim.

Tim played basketball for my father Alan in Australia and helped lead the St.Kilda Saints to their first ever Victorian Championship game in 1967, which they unfortunately lost. The Victorian Championship in those days was the equivalent to the National Championship and the team that beat them contained 7 Olympians.

At the time Tim was teaching at a high school in Melbourne and I swear he had the whole school at that championship game including the school band to cheer for the Saints. At the time that sort of promotion for a basketball game in Australia was totally unheard of.

I was only 9 years old at the time but I have wonderful memories of Tim's boundless enthusiasm, his total commitment to help the team and his fun loving, outgoing personality. He was always the life of the party and yet was always first on the training track the very next morning.

My father Alan passed away in 1998.

During the 40 odd years since Tim returned to the U.S., as a family we often fondly remembered the many happy times we shared with Tim and his larger than life personality.

At the time that Tim played basketball for my father in 1967, religion was certainly not on his agenda. On that same team was another American, Dave, who was deeply religious and worked on the Billy Graham crusades in the 1960's. Alan and Pat fondly remember in those days how Tim often wondered "what the problem was with Dave?" We later figured that playing basketball with "The Saints" was an omen for Tim's future life passion.

We loved receiving his newsletters hearing what he was up to and his phone calls to Pat especially after Alan's death were always greatly appreciated.

Tim's contribution to our family and to the Saints cannot be measured in points or rebounds. His love for life and willingness to help others was unquestioned and this obviously led him into his career sharing the word of the Lord.

Even though I was only 9 years old I cannot express just how wonderful his impact was on the Landells family.

He may be gone but as I hope I have expressed he will always be in our hearts.

Michelle, I hope you get to read this message as I would certainly like to make contact with you.

~ Mark Landells, Melbourne, Australia