Acsente "Sandy" Pacurar

PACURAR, ACSENTE (SANDY)<#1> March 23, 1917 to April 9, 2006 Sandy was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, to Tom and Anna Pacurar. He spent his youth in Pennsylvania and North Tonawanda, New York. An accomplished saxophone and violin player, at age 16, he performed on the Red Star Line's steamship Westerland which sailed between New York and Belgium. After graduating from Bryant and Stratton Business College in Buffalo, Sandy worked as an accountant before joining the Army in January of 1941. He attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. Shortly before being dispatched to the European theater of operations, Sandy married Victoria Schitea in Erie, Pennsylvania. While stationed in Europe, he flew 35 sorties as a Navigator in a B-17 bomber, many in adverse weather conditions and against strong enemy opposition. On one fateful high altitude bombing mission, his aircraft came under heavy fire and three of its four engines were destroyed. Sandy's extraordinary navigation skills in guiding his disabled plane through heavy cloud cover to a safe landing on a small island off the coast of Yugoslavia earned him the Air Medal with three oak clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. Sandy rose to the rank of Captain before leaving the service in 1945. After his discharge, Sandy and Vicki moved to California, where he worked for General Electric and later hosted a radio show, "This Guy Sandy and This Gal Marge" on KCOS-AM in Upland. In 1958, he and Vicki moved to San Diego where, for the next 30 years, he worked as a real estate broker handling subdivision sales for Pardee Construction in projects throughout the county. In 1969, he moved his family to Del Mar where he retired in 1982. Sandy was a devoted husband and father; he was a lifetime member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; he was a dedicated Padres fan; and he enjoyed travel, golf and spending time with his granddaughter. On April 9, Sandy passed away from complications related to Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his wife, Vicki, his son, Guy and his granddaughter, Taylor. Sandy will be remembered for his subtle sense of humor, his wicked martinis and his kind and gentle manner. A celebration of Sandy's life will be held in the Chapel at the Church of the Nativity, in Rancho Santa Fe, at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 19. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Centers, 3702 4th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103.Please sign the guest book at obituaries.uniontrib.com