After retiring from the Air Force as a colonel, Robert (Bob) went back to school at George Mason University and earned a bachelor's degree in Music, majoring in voice, then served for 16 years as music director of the Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, Va. He and Suellen both play the piano. They sing in the Fairfax Choral Society and have sung in three other community choruses. They also sing in the choir of the Providence Presbyterian Church in Fairfax. Their participation in some of our Falcons Landing musical activities would be most welcome.
Bob grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Miami University of Ohio, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Business and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force in 1962. It was there that he fell in love with a lovely young female student from Xenia, Ohio, Suellen Bales. Suellen earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, majoring in English and Biology. After she taught school for a year, they were married in 1963 and began their life together at K.I. Sawyer AFB in MichRobert & Suellen Lansell 46914 Grissom Street igan. Bob attended the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, receiving a master's degree in Logistics Management. He served as a contracting and staff officer from base level to the Air Staff. His last assignment before retirement with thirty years of service was as director of contracting for six years for the Tactical Air Command, headquartered at Langley AFB, Va.
During their Air Force assignments and afterward in civilian life, Suellen was and still is a dedicated volunteer in many activities. She was a Red Cross volunteer, served on the boards of officers' wives clubs and was president of the Air Force Officers' Wives Club in 1984-85. She has served since 1985 and is still serving as an Air Force Arlington Lady at the Arlington Cemetery. She was the chairman of that group for five years. She has served as a docent at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and at NASA Langley in Hampton, Va.
The Lansells have a son, Scott, living in Bethesda, Md, with his wife and two children. Daughter Laurie is in Ohio with her husband and two children.
Golf is a sport which both Bob and Suellen enjoy. They also have greatly enjoyed traveling to many places in every continent around the world. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, they took a cruise on the Baltic Sea with their entire family. About five years ago, they looked at most of the continuing care retirement communities in the Washington area and concluded that Falcons Landing was the place for them.
.png){kind=icon}
