Victor A. Abell died on Monday, December 22, 2025 in West Lafayette, IN. He was born on September 8, 1938 in Springfield, Illinois, to Victor H. Abell and Nell Robish Abell. He attended primary schools in Springfield and Lincoln, high school at St. Bede Academy, graduating in 1956, and graduating as valedictorian of his St. Bede Junior College class in 1958. He was named a distinguished alumnus of St. Bede in 2021.

He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1962 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Не earned a masters degree in Computer Science from Purdue University in 1967. He worked at Purdue from 1964 to 2003 in Computer Software Systems Development and Management at the Computing Center and later ITAP. He was the developer of Purdue’s Dual MACE operating system and the Unix administrative tool Isof.

Ham radio was his avid hobby beginning in high school. His call sign was W9RGB. He was a life member of the ARRL and a member of the First Class CW Operator’s club.

He served as chairman of the Purdue Federal Credit Union Board of Directors in the 1980s. In retirement he led the Young at Heart exercise group for many years

He married Carol Elson in 1962 in Chenoa, Illinois. They lived in Champaign before moving to West Lafayette in 1964. He is survived by his wife of 63 years and three children, Anne Nichols of College Station, TX, Mark Abell (Tammy) of Greenville, OH and Thomas Abell (Lynne) of Eugene, OR. Grandchildren include Sarah, Andrew, Catriona, and Rebecca. His sister, Barbara Conley and brother Michael Abell, preceded him in death. Surviving is his brother, David (Alicia) of Arcata, CA. and sister-in-laws Mary Anne Elson of Springfield, IL and Nancy Elson of Canton, IL.

Vic was a member of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in West Lafayette for over 60 years. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas at 2 pm. on Saturday, Jan. 3 with Fr. Andy McAlpin. Visitation will be an hour prior with an informal Celebration of Life at 3 in the church basement for all family and friends. Memorials may be made to St. Thomas Aquinas or St. Bede Academy, Peru, IL. Tippecanoe Memory Gardens are in charge of cremation and burial.

To honor Vic’s memory please do a good deed for someone to make the world a better place.