In Memoriam: Robert Victor

We are deeply saddened to report that Robert F. Victor, CSI's Treasurer, passed away unexpectedly on September 14th. Bob was a founding member of the Connecticut Cetacean Society, serving on its Board of Directors continually from 1974. In 1997 Bob became the volunteer treasurer for what by then had developed into the Cetacean Society International. We quickly came to depend upon his precision, knowing where every penny was. CSI has a tendency to give before we get, yet Bob kept us from ever bouncing a check. Most recently, Bob assisted with disbursing over 55 small grants from CSI to whale scientists and educators in over 15 countries.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Bob was a professional civil engineer, with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in 1966 and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1971. He was employed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, from 1966-1982. He also worked as a consultant for a number of engineering firms; most recently by Transdesign, Inc. in Glastonbury, Connecticut, where he lived. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His professional accomplishments included the design of an orthotropic bridge, a special unit designed to strengthen and modernize historic bridges, without being visible or compromising the structure's historical significance. His first orthotropic bridge served as a restoration vehicle for the historically significant covered bridge in West Cornwall, CT, for which he received national recognition and a major award from the Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation. He was also responsible for the design of the modern highway sign supports used by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and many other states. His design allows these large signs to shear off and away from vehicle impacts; he has probably saved many lives from this work.

A fitting monument to Bob's professional skill and devotion to whales is a famous regional landmark, on display in front of West Hartford's Science Center of Connecticut. Known as "Conny", this 60 foot long, life sized model of a sperm whale still stops traffic. Using Bob's design, and under his supervision of over 200 volunteers and 500 hours of labor, the world's largest ferro-cement whale model was finished in 1976. "Conny" was so well designed and built by Bob that the most major work needed for Conny's refurbishment this June were a few coats of paint and a new entry ramp into the hollow interior. Conny's spout, which Bob also designed, has always been a favorite with children. After thirty years parents now bring their kids to play in Conny's spout, the way they did years before. He has left many lasting legacies, but this may be the most unusual and obvious of them all. The Conny Project will continue as Bob planned it, including educational displays inside the hollow whale.

Bob Victor painting Conny in June