Obituary of Levander Roosevelt Little, Jr.

Levander R. Little was known affectionately as Van to his family and friends. Van was the oldest of 10 children, born on May 12, 1936, in Badin, North Carolina, to the late Elder Levander Little, Sr. and the late Carolyn Haywood Little. Raised in a Christian home, Van found Christ for himself at an early age. His father's namesake, Van, inherited the patriarch role in the family. Van received his education in the D.C. Public School system. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy and received an honorable discharge. After his discharge, he was active with the National Guard for many years. Van was blessed to meet his soul mate, Georgianna Watkins, also known affectionately by her family and friends as Peggy. They were married on October 18, 1956. Together, they raised nine children in a union that lasted 59 years. They were also instrumental in the raising of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Modeling love with an open door, their house was everyone's house. Van worked as a Boiler Room Technician for the Baltimore City Public School System and retired in 1996. Van was serious about social justice, and after retirement, he worked for the ACLU for over 10 years, including serving as President of the Union. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, listening and going to jazz concerts, and talking on the phone with any of his friends or family members who would listen to him for hours. Van was an intellectual. He loved to read about history and politics, and he also loved to have good debates about what he saw on MSNBC! Remaining a devoted Christian and family man all his life, he looked forward to Bible study every Wednesday morning with his family. During his younger years, he loved playing basketball and shooting pool with his sons. He was known for being generous, always willing to help others whenever he could. He enjoyed sitting on his front porch with his wife, feeling the breeze, and talking about old times. Van missed his wife dearly. After 85 years of life on this earth, he was called home on June 20, 2021. Van was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy; stepchildren, Aline and Gregory; granddaughter, Lisa; brothers, Thomas, Frank, and Nathaniel; sisters, Roberta and Margaret; and in-laws, Chester, Elzie, Kenny, Aline, Margaret, Issac, Ivory, Jacqueline, and Deloris. Van is now at peace and happily reunited with Peggy and his family up above. He leaves here to cherish his life and legacy of a united family: his children, Levander III, Darnell, Carolyn, James, and Brian; stepchildren, Tawana and Janet; his brother, Robert and three sisters, Mary, Nancy, and Naomi; brothers-in-law Dwight and Greg; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a countless number of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. The patriarch of our family, we were blessed to know him and will carry his loving spirit and smile with us everywhere we go. Services will be held 10:30 AM, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in the chapel of Vaughn Greene Funeral Services 4905 York Road, Baltimore, MD, 21212. The wake will begin at 10:00 AM. The burial will take place in Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery, Owings Mills, MD,