Elijah Paul Lansford

                               February 26, 1998 – April 10, 2025

Elijah Paul Lansford, Eli, The Big E, we usually just called him E.  When he was a baby we dubbed him Happy because it seemed he always was.  As an adult his friends would say, upon his departure, “There’s no one like Eli.”

Eli was a passenger in a multi-vehicle car accident on April 10, 2025. He had just celebrated his 27th birthday.  It was a warm spring Arkansas afternoon; his dad Steve had driven from California to visit him and they were on their way  down a beautiful two-lane Arkansas country road to share some good times together.  Steve was driving; Steve was badly injured but miraculously survived.

As a small child Eli was always the first one in the house to wake up, greeting the day with boundless energy and enthusiasm.  He was a little boy with a huge heart, and he was naturally athletic.  His dad taught him to belt a whiffle ball inside the house when he was 2; mom watched nervously as Eli's hits ricocheted off of walls and furniture!  He was an enthusiastic Cub Scout, a Boy Scout, and he performed in a few plays at Arroyo Vista Elementary School in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA where he grew up.  Despite his small stature, he had a great time and lots of success playing the childhood sports – Little League baseball (he had an unassisted double-play when he was 8), soccer, basketball, and Pop Warner football.  His football coach put him on the defensive line because he was quick and good at squirting through the offensive line; Eli played so hard and fearlessly he once went to the hospital after a game to treat a concussion.  He ran around all the neighborhoods we lived in playing all the games boys like to play.  He yelled at the TV watching sports with his dad and his brothers, he played video games, he had fun with siblings, cousins, and friends.  He took home a few medals on the Tesoro High School wrestling team.  He found the jacuzzis.  He found the hikes to waterfalls.  He found the beaches and the sunsets.  Eli knew how to have a good time, all the time.

Academia was never Eli’s thing.  He did just enough to get by, spending most of his time making friends instead of grades.  Near the start of his first year in high school his father and I were called to his big new school to discuss his poor performance in Spanish.  Eli was in the dog house.  The mood was somber as the three of us walked onto campus for the conference.  Classes were in session, but a few other students were walking around and it seemed like everyone we passed raised a hand and smiled at Eli, shouting, “Hey Eli!  How’s it going?”  I remember watching him drop his gaze to respond, trying so hard to stay serious, “Hey, man.”  Our little freshman - already big man on campus.  Eli made friends wherever he went.

We were pulling our hair out trying to get Eli to care about school, to apply himself, to go to college, to “make something of himself;” this era seemed like such a stressful problem.  But Eli the human being was never a problem.  He was kind.  He was helpful.  He made us laugh.  He enthusiastically participated in family endeavors.  He was fun.  He worked for several years at the law office of his father and was the only one of his brothers who worked there who was never fired!  He did a good job and they loved him!  He was a loving son and brother.

After miraculously graduating from high school (he admitted as much), Eli worked at Lola’s Café in Ladera Ranch, moving from dish washer up to night manager, and as a waiter at Morena’s in Rancho Mission Viejo.  We his family always received rave reviews about him from his bosses when we frequented these establishments.

When our family dog Rusty was nearing the end of his days, getting stuck in odd spots like behind the toilet or in the fireplace, Eli was at the ready to care for him.  He found a pricey CBD tincture he thought would be good for Rusty’s arthritis, bought it for him and administered it.  He dubbed our home the Doggie-Assisted-Living Center and he was Rusty’s #1 loving caregiver.  I know that Rusty was waiting for Eli at the other end of that rainbow bridge on April 10th.

After the pandemic passed in 2022, Eli announced that he wanted to be a farmer.  WHAT???  Our boy was raised in suburban Southern California.  What did he possibly know about farming?

We were amazed when Eli secured an internship at the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas in August of 2022 and could not believe he was moving so far from home, from us!  After two stints as an intern he was hired full time at Heifer where he lived, worked and learned the trade of regenerative farming.  He took care of chickens and turkeys.  He learned to castrate baby pigs.  He sent a photo someone took of him performing his first pig castration and added the caption "No man should have to do this."  During birthing seasons Eli would “pull lambs and calves.”  (Think difficult birth, mother needs assistance, Eli gloved to the elbow.)  He learned how to drive a tractor and pasture management and so many other tools of the trade.  He traveled to attend working seminars on various aspects of regenerative farming and took notes in legible handwriting on what he learned.  He made so many new friends, and stayed in touch with his old friends.  His future was as bright and promising as his smile and his sense of humor.

“He always did what we asked him to do, and he did it well with grace and humor,” said one Heifer colleague after his passing.  His Heifer friend and colleague Caleb said, “Eli was a beast.  He worked harder than I ever did and I’m 100 pounds heavier.”  

Eli swam into flooded mud to rescue pigs and chickens.  He was a trusted house-sitter for families with pets (one family had 8 pets including two sheep).  He took in the failed Livestock Guardian Dog Cheryl and loved her even though she seemed incapable of doing her job.  Most of the folks at the Heifer Ranch that we spoke to after Eli’s passing told us, “Eli was living his dream,” and we have no doubt that he was.

Eli marched to the beat of his own drummer and forged his extraordinary path joyfully, bravely and unapologetically, with kindness and humor.  This obituary is short; his life was too short.  He will forever be missed.

Eli is survived by his parents, Kelly Lansford and Steven Lansford, his brothers Jack and Bear, and his sister Katey.  Also missing him are his grandparents Barney and Pat Snyder, his KK Kelly Lange, his aunt Robin Hogan, uncle Brett Snyder, and many cousins and second cousins around the country.

Eli’s exit from this world was as swift and dramatic as his entrance.  We believe he did not suffer.  This tragic accident which has devastated our family was caused by a careless and distracted driver.  Please honor Eli’s legacy by putting away distractions when you are driving.  We pray this needless tragedy will raise awareness and prevent other families from experiencing this heartbreak.  Put down the distractions - every last one, every time.  Remember Eli and all the life he had left to live.

In lieu of flowers, Eli’s family hopes donations will be made to the non-profit Heifer Ranch where Eli lived his passion and was working hard to realize his dreams.

Send your check to

Heifer Ranch

55 Heifer Road

Perryville, AR 72126

Be sure to put “In honor of Eli Lansford” in the memo line.  We will make sure something good comes out of this heartbreaking tragedy. 

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