Victor J. LaBella passed in his sleep on the evening of March 31, 2017, at his home in Stuart, Florida. Victor celebrated his 96th birthday with family and friends on March 9th after recovering from a bicycle accident, not of his making, which left him with a broken femur. Victor surprised all who encountered him during his hospitalization and rehabilitation with his quiet dignity, determination, and unending gratitude. Once home, Victor impressed his physical therapist, Yoko, with his faithful exercise schedule and speedy transition from walker to cane to unassisted walking. Yoko continues to rave about the 96 year old client she had who was riding his bicycle!

Victor was the son of Nicola and Caterina LaBella of Trenton, New Jersey. His siblings included older brother James, younger brothers Danny and Carl, and younger sisters, Mary and Mildred. Victor met and married the love of his life, Phyllis Cecilia Volpe, in 1947 with whom he happily and devotedly shared his life until her death in 2008. Victor and Phyllis are survived by their four children, Leslie Lewis Buckley, Phyllis, Barney and Vicki LaBella, and their three grandchildren Christian, Amelia, and Nicholas Buckley.

After graduating from Trenton High School, Victor joined the U.S. Calvary to ride horses! As the winds of World War II rose, Victor quickly realized that he was not keen on being in the front lines on horseback and enlisted in the Air Force where he succeeded in becoming a fighter pilot of the legendary P-38 Lightning. On March 22, 1944, while on a bomber escort mission to Berlin, Victor was forced to bail out of his plane, taken prisoner, and sent to Stalag Luft 1 where he remained a prisoner until the end of the war. Victor continued to fly for the Air Force after the war, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Victor and Phyllis relocated to Stuart, Florida, in the early 1990's where they established a cherished circle of friends with whom they golfed, played cards and Mahjong, traveled and socialized. Victor continued to improve (and agonize over!) his golf game until breaking his leg and looked forward to returning to the links after his recovery.

As a vigorous, engaged, handsome gentleman of ninety-six years, Victor was an example of graceful aging and an inspiration to all who knew him. He was a beautiful man.