Former superintendent of schools, Dr. Elliot Landon, passed away on Thursday Aug. 31 at the age of 82. Landon served as the superintendent from 1999-2016 and led the district through changes such as mold at Kings Highway Elementary School, the opening of Bedford Middle School at its current North Ave. location and renovations of Staples. But in addition to all his hard work, he took time to have fun, too.
“I went for my interview,” math teacher Lenny Klein said. “You’re nervous, you’re meeting with the superintendent. We spent the majority of the time talking about the best place to get a pastrami sandwich. I’ll never forget that.”
Klein also used to have a segment of Staples’ old morning TV show “Good Morning Staples” called the “Klein Challenge” where he’d pick football games against students, and he once invited Landon on the show.
“I actually asked Dr. Landon one time if he would be interested in being on the show, fully expecting him to say that in his position, that wasn’t something he’d feel comfortable doing,” Klein said. “But he actually said, ‘Yes.’ Not only did he come on my show, but we had a blast doing it.”
But Landon’s accomplishments also went inside the classroom. He navigated the district through many tough times and hired many of the teachers who are still in the district today.
In an interview Landon gave for Westport News in 2016, he spoke proudly of the people he helped bring to the Westport school system.
“[For] 17 years I’ve hired virtually everybody in this school district, every administrator is one I’ve hired, virtually all of the teachers,” Landon said. “I think that’s my legacy; just great people I’ve left behind, really good administrators.”
