Special Thanks
As the vice president of design management for Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc., Jeffrey
Landis was responsible for many major building ventures in the area. Among other projects, he oversaw
the refurbishment of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building; a new courthouse in Hyattsville; a U.S.
Postal Service facility in Linthicum; the EuroMotorcars dealership building in Germantown; and a library
and conference center in the Pentagon, which received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design award for being environmentally sensitive.
We were fortunate enough to cross paths with Jeff one summer afternoon as we ate lunch at a job
site on Morrison Street, NW. Jeff stopped to chat, and invited us to his house to take a look at several remodeling
projects. Over the next few months we fast became friends, and visited Jeff and his wife Julia often. We learned
that Jeff was a talented artist and architect, and he offered to serve as a mentor to Four Brothers. Throughout
our first major projects, Jeff freely provided guidance and expertise gained through years of experience.
He introduced us to a number of business colleagues, and through his work habits, emphasized the
importance of achieving perfection.
At the time Jeff was diagnosed with cancer, we were in the beginning stages of remodeling his downstairs bathroom.
Jeff had drawn the plans for the project, and was responsible for the design, materials selection, and accessories.
Though he was often weakened from treatment and pain, Jeff insisted on remaining active in the process, and inspected
the job site daily. When he was unable to manage the trip downstairs, he asked for digital pictures and daily progress reports.
When Jeff passed away in July of 2007 at the age of 55, the world lost an artist, teacher, and friend. Although we knew
Jeff for only a short period of time, Four Brothers will forever be indebted to him for his kindness. He demonstrated the
importance of extending a hand to a fellow traveler, and through our daily interactions, we would hope to make Jeff proud.
We would also like to offer special thanks to the following individuals:
Pete and Leslie Parreco
Jim and Lisa McCoy
Chris Landis
Ethan Landis
Julia Monk
Pedro Gneiting