Robert "Van" Vannatter
March 8, 1921-Aug. 27, 2012
Scotts Valley, California
Submitted by Dan Vannatter

Robert Lee Vannatter, Jr., died peacefully in his sleep at home in Scotts Valley, CA on Monday, August 27, 2012. He was 91. Born in Gauley Bridge, West Virginia on March 8, 1921, Vannatter met his wife, Avis May Whitlock (1935-1975) in San Diego, CA, and they married in 1953. They had three children, who survive him: Michael Vannatter, Susan Vannatter-Prang, and Daniel Vannatter. An engineer by profession, Robert worked in the aerospace field in Burbank and Sunnyvale, CA for more than 35 years. During WWII, Robert saw service in the 82nd Airborne, 507th Paratrooper Division of the US Army. The country of France recently awarded him a Chevalier (Knight) medal of the Legion of Honor for his heroic efforts during the earliest hours of the Normandy invasion on June 6th, 1944. He will be missed.

Tags: veteran