Francis Victor

Ledyard - Retired Navy Captain Francis W. Victor, age 79, of 32 Meadow Drive, Gales Ferry, passed away Monday morning, Jan. 22, 2007, at The William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich.

He was born in Stambaugh, Mich., on April 3, 1927, the son of Waddick and Lydia Richard Pucylowski.

He married Dorothy Reilly on May 29, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pa.

Capt. Victor graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in the class of 1952. During his Naval career he served on the submarines Grenadier, Sea Wolf, was the executive officer on the Tecumseh and was the CO of the Tinosa. He also had been the OIC of NUSC both in New London and Newport, retiring in 1979.

After his retirement from the Navy he worked as a nuclear testing regulator at Sonalyst in Waterford.

He was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Gales Ferry and served as a Eucaristic Minister and on the finance committee. He was a volunteer financial counselor at the Groton Senior Center, an avid traveler and skier.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his children, Karen Paradiso of Carmel, Ind., Paul Victor and his wife, Vivian, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Susan Cordeiro and her husband, Arsenio, of Groton, Kathy and her husband, Butch Griswold, of Groton, Beth Nohara and her husband, Steven, of Ledyard, and Stephen Victor of West Hartford; a brother, Paul Victor and sister, Ruth Shields, both of Michigan; and grandchildren, Krista, Nichole, Nathanial, Julia, Amanda, Katrina, Brittny, Curtis, Daniel, Timothy, and Jennifer.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Rte. 12, Gales Ferry. Interment with Military Honors will be in Gales Ferry Cemetery.

Visiting hours will be on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Donations in his memory may be directed to Eastern Connecticut Hematology and Oncology, 330 Washington St., Suite 220, Norwich CT 06350 or the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society, Donor Services, PO Box 4072, Pittsfield MA 01202.

Please visit www.byles.com for online obituary, directions, or to send a condolence note to the family. Byles-Groton Memorial Home is in charge of arrangements.