Victor "Vic" DeCaria

Victor “Vic” DeCaria, 96, joined the choir eternal on January 4, 2021, after losing his battle with COVID-19. All we could think was “Well, what’d he want to go and do a thing like that for?”

Vic was born March 28, 1924 in Ogden, Utah to Assuntina Concetta Villella and Domenico “Domenick” DeCaria. He was raised in Ogden just up the street from LaVera Drysdale whom he later married on June 25, 1945.  Together, they raised 9 children in Layton, Utah.

Vic served his country as a member of the Army Air Forces in WWII as the flight engineer/dorsal gunner in lead B-24’s on 30 missions over Germany and occupied France. He received several medals and oakleaf clusters, and in 2015 the Republic of France made Vic a knight in the Legion of Honor for helping liberate France during WWII. He later served in the Air Force during the Korean War, as a crew chief on B-29s at Travis Air Force Base.

Between and after the wars, Vic worked at Hill AFB as an aerospace engineering technician, he became an expert on the fuel and hydraulic systems of the F-4 and F-16, and was often asked to travel the world to fix planes that others could not. He retired in 1988 with 46 combined years of military and civilian service.

Vic was a devout member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Layton from 1952 until his death. His faith was deep and personal.

The depth, beauty, and magnitude of Vic’s life cannot be overstated.  He remained in a class all his own - a true gentleman, and a hero in every sense of the word-- though he would bristle if anyone called him such. He was always there to provide wisdom, comfort, love, insight, and crossword puzzle answers just when you needed it.  His restrained, buttoned-up appearance belied a deep bubbling well of surprises and stories, told with his signature sharp and delightful wit that brought joy to anyone who crossed his path.

He was a powerful combination of someone who had a love of life with a clear understanding of what truly mattered to living it well, and took great pride in all of his family’s successes and accomplishments. He had a life-long love affair with Adam’s peanut butter on toast, pepperoni, avocado toast (before it was cool), black coffee, salted fresh tomatoes, and any shape of pie that crossed his path.  He also never met an apple fritter he didn’t love. He had a deep affection for animals, and dogs in particular seemed to bond with him.

He is survived by his children: Dr. Michael (Carol) DeCaria of Salt Lake City, Utah; Vicki Corbin of Elk Grove, California; CDR (USN-ret) Don (Gayle) DeCaria of Logandale, Nevada; Rena Skeen of Syracuse, Utah; Holly (Ed) Augustson of Big Rapids, Michigan; Dr. Lisa Barlow (Carl Brzozowy) of Thornton, Colorado; Max (Shauna) DeCaria of Ogden, Utah; and Dr. Alex (Marcia) DeCaria of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Also surviving are a herd of 15 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife of 71 years, LaVera; his son, Vincent; and his siblings: Frank, Joe, Albert, Angelo, Mary, Jess, and Teresa.

And while Vic’s hardware has been decommissioned, in true engineer style, his core applications have been migrated to the Cloud, repurposed to run in a virtual machine on an infinite loop.

His family offers its thanks and gratitude to Chancellor Gardens and Symbii Hospice who provided Vic’s care during his last weeks. Prior to contracting COVID, Vic remained active, doing daily crosswords, enjoying music, and reading two papers every morning.

In lieu of flowers, it is suggested to donate to Catholic Community Services in Victor’s memory.

A Requiem Mass will be held on Friday, January 8, 2021 at 10:30 AM.  Due to COVID, services are not open, but can be viewed via livestream on the Layton St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church Facebook page.  A recording will be made available on the St. Rose of Lima webpage following the service.

Graveside services will happen at Lindquist’s Memorial Park at Layton, 1867 No. Fairfield Road  immediately after the mass, and will be open to attend provided that masks are worn and social distancing is observed.

A celebration of life in Vic’s memory will be held at a later time when it is safe to gather together.

Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Road.

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