Randall M Victory, 1933-2026

 

Randall M (Vic) Victory, 93, passed away peacefully October 6, 2026 at Robin Run Memory Care after living a long, healthy and happy life. He was born to Randall M and Catharine Taylor Victory in San Diego, CA, shortly after their return from China – he loved to tell people he was “almost Chinese.” In his childhood, their family moved frequently to support his father’s career in the Marines before, during and after World War II. He attended 18 schools by the time he graduated high school and his best friend became his brother Wallis. They got up to plenty of trouble and managed to get themselves kicked out of a few schools, but their friendship was lifelong and boy, did they love to ski and tell dirty jokes together.  Vic served in the Marine Corps for two years on active duty in the early 1950s, followed by a long stretch in the reserves, where he was commissioned as an officer, eventually leaving as a First Lieutenant.

Vic married Carol Greenham in New Jersey in 1968 and they built a life in Houston, even though he promised her he’d never lived anywhere more than two years. They had two children, Eric and Jennifer, who he was immensely proud of. Vic went on four Boy Scout High Adventure wilderness expeditions with Eric, which made for some of Eric’s favorite memories of time with his dad. He also enjoyed the many foreign exchange students that were hosted, including his “bonus son” from Finland, Johan Backas. Vic was an accomplished technical salesman in the oil and gas industry, working many years for Union Carbide and UOP. It took him three tries to retire and when he finally did, he and Carol moved to Indianapolis to enjoy time with family and weather that really changed for the seasons. He was a grandfather to Andrew, Collin, Jenna, Jack and Alex, changing diapers for the first time in his life, wiggling his ears and nose at them, and really trying to get them all interested in World War II history. He loved to share a bowl of ice cream with them, take them to movies where he could nap, and was always interested to know what the kids were learning in school (probably secretly trying to get them all to be engineers!).

Vic was an accomplished marksman and competed in matches across the country. He loved competition, community, and the precision of high-power shooting. He was an avid skydiver with over 600 jumps until a bad landing in 1978 resulted in a broken ankle. He also loved to be on a ski hill, with Winter Park, CO, and Park City, UT, being two of his favorites. He famously loved iced coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, Old Fashioneds and butterscotch pie and you’d never find him eating pizza, casserole, or anything with sauce or dressing on it. Friends will always remember his legendary egg nog, a family recipe made each holiday season and enjoyed by family, friends, and sometimes the dog.

Vic bravely battled prostate cancer for more than 25 years and had a shorter but difficult time with Alzheimer’s in his final years. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s research, the Myasthenia Gravis Organization or Veteran support organizations would be a great way to honor his memory. Our family would like to thank the nurses and caregivers at Robin Run Memory Care who were so loving and caring to him in his final months and especially his final days.