Vytautas Blaise “Van” Bandjunis, 86, of Bavon, Mathews County, died July 19, 2016 at home.
Mr. Bandjunis was born in Baltimore on February 3, 1930. His parents, Julia and Frank, were immigrants from Lithuania. A graduate of the University of Maryland, Van was commissioned in the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps. After serving eight years, Van returned to Maryland and civilian life where he earned his Master of Science degree from George Washington University. Van worked for the Navy as a civilian engineer, and afterwards in the Pentagon for the Secretary of Defense in the Logistics directorate.
After retiring in 1985, Van relocated to Mathews County where he served on the Planning Commission and as an election official. Van, recalled by the Secretary of Defense, was a staff member of the first Base Realignments and Closure Commission that was formed in 1988. Van was a historian, and published a history of the Navy’s base at Diego Garcia. An amateur archeologist, Van documented the existence of a 10,000-year-old Indian site in Mathews County. He was a member of the Francis de Sales Catholic Church.
Surviving are his daughter, Deborah Kirkman of Warrenton and her husband Worth; his daughter Julia Dzikiewicz of Alexandria and her husband Joseph; his daughter, Linda Boan of Berryville and her husband Timothy. Surviving are seven grandchildren, Robin, Lucy and Tristan Kirkman; Andrew, Katherine, and Diana Dzikiewicz; and Corinna Boan, and his two great-grandchildren, Anna Kirkman and Emme Kirkman.
The family will receive friends at Francis de Sales Catholic Church, Mathews, beginning at 10 a.m. on July 30, 2016 with mass to celebrate his life at 11 o’clock. A reception for family and friends will follow, with military honors to be observed at 2:30 p.m. at Windsor Gardens Cemetery and Mausoleum, Dutton, Va., with inurnment to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, Okla. 73123.
Foster-Faulkner Funeral Home, Mathews, is in charge of the arrangements.