Victor Patrick Bianchi

Vic was born in Victoria on July 27, 1926. He was the only child born to Victor Patrick and Mary Tagliabue Bianchi. He worked on his father’s farm and attended school at St. Joseph High School where he graduated as valedictorian in 1943. He worked for the Coca Cola Bottling Company during high school before being offered a job at the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. After much deliberation, he made the decision to join the telephone company. However, he and two friends decided to enlist in the army together in 1944. They were sent to basic training where he contracted pneumonia for the first of many times during his life. When he recovered, he was sent to the Pacific where he was charged with setting up communications. After his return from the war, he married Dorothy Lucille Phillips on June 21, 1948, whom he met after repairing her desk telephone at Sears. Dottie died of cancer in 1978. He married Viola (Vi) Hodde Hobbs in 1980. He worked for the telephone company until his retirement in 1982 at the age of 56. Very busy during retirement, he gardened, repaired electronics, and traveled with Vi to Washington DC, San Francisco, Canada and Europe.

He is survived by his wife of thirty years, Viola Hodde Hobbs, his daughters, Mary Ellen Myers of Austin, Lydia Faye Mobley of Yoakum, Nancy Jo Williamson of Austin, his step son, Mark Hodde Hobbs of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his step daughter, Ingeri Lynne Palamara, fifteen grandchildren and eight great- grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Dorothy Lucille Phillips, and his daughter, Gail Ann Rybak.

There will be a visitation on Tuesday, December 21, 2010, beginning at 5:00 pm at Rosewood Funeral Chapels at 3304 E. Mockingbird Lane in Victoria, followed by a rosary at 7:00 pm. The funeral will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Wednesday, December 22, 2010, at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow in Catholic Cemetery #2.

Pallbearers will be sons-in-law, Gary Rybak, Darren Mobley, John Palamara and Gary Williamson, and grandsons, Mark Myers II, Darren Mobley Jr., Grant Rybak and Dylan Williamson. Honorary pallbearers are Steven, Michael and Brian Hobbs, Christopher and Nicholos Palamara, and 1st Lieutenant Garrett Rybak, Pilot, United State Air Force. Scriptures will be read by Ingeri Lynne Palamara and Mark Hodde Hobbs.

The family wishes to extend their thanks and gratitude to the caring 6th floor nurses at Citizens Memorial Hospital. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Joseph High School.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com

Arrangements under the direction of Rosewood Funeral Chapel, 3304 Mockingbird Lane, Victoria, Texas, 361/573-4546.