Victor C. "Spud" Sylvester Obituary (1928 - 2017)

Victor C. Spud Sylvester, Jr., 89, of Normal, passed away at 1:50 p.m., Friday, November 3, 2017 at his home.His funeral will be at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 9, 2017 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. Burial will be in East Lawn Memorial Gardens, Bloomington. Military rites will be accorded by the Bloomington-Normal American Legion Honor Guard. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at the funeral home.Memorials may be directed to the Normal Fire Department.Victor was born July 2, 1928 in Normal, the son of C. Victor and Lucy Moberly Sylvester, Sr. He married Patricia McBurney on July 29, 1950 in Piggot, Arkansas. She preceded him in death on January 31, 1999.Survivors include five children, Dan Sylvester of Milwaukee, WI, Ken (Pat) Sylvester of Normal, Mike (Deb) Sylvester of Normal, Chuck Sylvester of Normal and Carol (Joe) Spencer of Boone, IA; ten grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren; two sisters, Patricia Rudisill of Towanda and Vivian June Smith of Mammoth Cave, KY and one brother, Richard Sylvester of Normal.He was preceded in death by a daughter, Elizabeth Sylvester, two sisters, and one brother.Victor was a United States Army and Army National Guard Veteran, serving in Japan.Spud was a firefighter from 1952 until 1976, serving as Normals Fire Chief from 1968 to 1976. He held many jobs in his lifetime. He was a laborer, a firefighter, an electrician for the railroad and lineman/phone installer for General Telephone.He was a member of Laborers Local 362, Moose Lodge #745, the Bloomington Masonic Lodge, Bloomington Shrine Club of Shriners International, and was a 50 year member of the Carl S. Martin American Legion Post 635 in Normal. We will miss you Pa Spud.