Elaine Berkley Landrum was born to the late Robert Blaine Berkley and Fannie
Holmes Berkley on March 29, 1925 at Fredericks' Hall, in the Mount Garland
community of Louisa, Virginia. She was the fourth of five children. Elaine's siblings
Louise B. Davis, Margaret Vivian Harris, Robert L. Berkley, and Roger M. Berkley are
all deceased.

Elaine married Edward W. P. Landrum on August 19, 1950. One child, Colette
Michele, was born to this union.

Elaine, along with her parents and sisters and brothers, was a member of the Mt.
Garland Baptist Church and as a child attended the Mt. Garland school.

At the age of nine, Elaine left her beloved Louisa home to join her married older
sister Vivian and her brother-in-law John in their move to New York City. As part of
the "Black Migration to the North", Elaine, like thousands of other Southern Black
Americans, left her home to escape the segregation, lynchings, discrimination, and
racial injustices of the South, for the hope of better economic, educational, political
& social opportunities promised by cities in the North. Being afforded those
opportunities, and because of her hard work, perseverance, determination and
brilliant mind, Elaine would grow up to become a smart, ambitious, talented, caring,
compassionate, brave and beautiful woman.

Elaine attended the New York City public schools, graduating from George
Washington High School in 1943. Later, in 1951, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree
from New York City's Hunter College, and in 1965 Elaine earned a Master of Science
degree in Education from the City University of New York's City College of New York.

Elaine would have a long and illustrious career with the New York City Board of
Education, and produced 9 scholarly works that were published. Her Board of
Education Career culminated with her appointments as:

• Brooklyn's School District 19 Deputy Superintendent from 1971-1974,
followed by Superintendent of School District 19 from 1974-1976

• Harlem's School District 5 Deputy Superintendent from 1977-1979,
followed by Superintendent of School District 5 from 1979-1982

Elaine retired from the New York City Board of Education in June 1982, but
continued to work as a consultant to the Board of Education for a number of years,
making frequent trips to Puerto Rico to evaluate and recruit new teachers.

During her professional career Elaine was privileged to meet and be inspired by
remarkable people such as the trailblazing U.S. Congressional Representative Shirley
Chisolm, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and the legendary U.S. Congressman Adam
Clayton Powell Jr., among others.

Elaine was a multifaceted individual who had many interests and experiences
throughout her 92 years. She loved and enjoyed people and socializing, the church,
politics, activism, works of art, the theater and performing arts including opera and
ballet, and all forms of dance and music from classical music to gospel, jazz, the
blues, R & B, and soul music. She enjoyed visiting museums, sightseeing, fine
restaurants and fashion.

Elaine truly loved to travel and her destinations included the following countries:
Italy, Spain, Holland, England, France, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas,
Aruba, Curcaco, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Johns, St. Thomas, St. Barts, St. Marteen,
and Puerto Rico, although Elaine's favorite island destination was our own Hawaii.

No matter where Elaine resided, she always remained connected to and retained
her love of her beloved Louisa County and Mt. Garland Baptist Church.

After more than 60 years as a New York resident, in the year 2000 Elaine
relocated back to her native state of Virginia, moving to Arlington in order to be near
her daughter Colette and son-in-law Philip who loved and adored her and wanted her
near. She joined Arlington's Mt. Olive Baptist Church where Thelma Minor Hill, her
close cousin and childhood companion from Louisa, was a member.

Elaine leaves to celebrate her life a loving and devoted daughter Colette, and
son-in-law Philip J. Brown III, a sister-in-law Corita Berkley, nieces Beverly Berkley
and Doris Strachan, nephews Roger Berkley Jr. and William Landrum III, a nephew-inlaw
Earl Strachan, nephews Roger Berkley, Jr., and William Landrum, III, a nephew-in-law Earl Strachan, and a host of great nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.