Victor Joseph Dillon, DDS

Born February 21, 1937, in Babylon, NY, Vic (also known as Dr. Dillon to his many orthodontics patients, Dad to his four children, and Poppy or Grandpa to his 12 grandchildren) graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY in 1954. It was in high school that Vic developed a love for physical exercise and competition. He broke a 5-minute mile his senior year on the same day Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile. Vic ran track and cross country at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, winning the team National Championship in cross country in 1957. Vic graduated from Notre Dame in 1958, married the love of his life, the former Dolores Vallario, in 1961, graduated from Georgetown University Dental School in 1962, and joined the Navy, serving as a dentist on the Marine Base - Kaneohe in Honolulu, HI. There he developed a deep respect for the Marines though he often noted they would rather take a bullet than sit in his dental chair.

Following his stint in Hawaii, he returned to New York in 1965 to practice general dentistry. In 1968, he graduated from St. Louis University, having completed his post-graduate work in Orthodontics, and returned to the Washington, D.C. area to begin his orthodontics practice in Gaithersburg, MD, where he practiced for 50 years. He and Dee raised their four children in Darnestown, where he lived until his death.

An Eagle Scout himself, Vic was the leader of Troop 1094 in Darnestown for 10 years. He was an accomplished camp cook and could make great cobbler in the Dutch oven. He regularly took his family on camping trips during the summer months and occasionally on ski vacations to Killington, Vermont. While he had many adventures traveling abroad with his beloved Dee, his favorite vacation spot was Holden Beach, NC, where he shared an annual beach vacation with a growing family of children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and cousins for 50 years.

Continuing his love of exercise and competition, Vic was an avid marathoner who transitioned to triathlons and cycling when the running started to take its toll. Many Saturdays, Vic could be found doing long rides out Route 28 into Virginia. His competitive nature led him to complete the multiday Bicycle Tour of Colorado 7 times, his last one at age 71. He enjoyed his vegetable garden as well as his fruit trees, and for years raised honeybees, much to the chagrin of his children who had to mow the lawn around the hives.

After their first trip to Italy, Vic and Dee started Italian lessons, which Dee quit but Vic continued, becoming fairly proficient. When he finally agreed to get a smartphone – which he swore he didn’t need – practicing his Italian with Duolingo became one of his Pandemic hobbies.

Vic was an active member of St. Rose of Lima parish since 1972, serving the community as a eucharistic minister, a church cleaner, a religious education teacher, an RCIA sponsor, marriage preparation leader, Fiesta chef, and Christmas Tree Sale volunteer. Vic believed in faith, family, the dignity of work, and his country.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Dolores Dillon; his four children, Kevin Dillon (Lisa), Mary Frances Mullan (David), Stephanie McGovern (Mark), Julie Dietz (Francis), and 12 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents, Helen and Paul Dillon, as well as by his sister, Rosemarie Parsons.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, November 5, 2021, at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Gaithersburg, MD, preceded by a visitation that will begin at 10:00 am. Inurnment will be at the St. Rose cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation or a charity benefiting disabled veterans and their families.