Victor "Vic" Carl McCuaig, Jr., 92, died peacefully at his home in Brownsville, Vermont on Friday, January 1, 2021 after living a full and eventful life.

Vic was born October 26, 1928 in New York City to his mother Louine Brown and his father Dr. Victor Carl McCuaig, Sr. His father moved to New York from Ontario to complete his medical residency and met Vic's mother at St. Luke's Hospital where she attended nursing school.

Vic was raised in Glen Cove, Long Island with his two sisters, Natalie and Marcia, before attending boarding school at Exeter, graduating in 1947. He then attended Princeton University, class of 1951, where he studied History and Economics and played defense on the Princeton ice hockey team. He loved to recount the moment during a Winter Carnival game against Dartmouth, when his lucky "slow motion" shot hit the back of the net.

After graduation, Vic joined the Air Force, where he served during the early post-WWII years as an intelligence officer in East and West Germany. While in Europe he met his future wife, Elizabeth "Tina" Watt from Boston, MA, who was studying abroad. They married upon returning to New York City in 1955, where Tina worked as an elementary school teacher while Vic attended Columbia Law School.

Vic and Tina then moved to the North shore of Long Island where they raised their four children. Vic spent his entire career as a lawyer at the firm Payne, Wood, & Littlejohn in nearby Glen Cove. Vic enjoyed serving on the boards of the Cold Spring Harbor High School and the Nature Conservancy, as well as on the Vestry of Christ Church, Oyster Bay. He loved to take his small boat on sunset fishing trips in the harbors off Long Island Sound and would often stay out long after dark. Tina passed away in 1981 after 26 years of marriage.

Vic married Cordelia "Cordy" Reid in 1984. After Vic retired in 2002, Vic and Cordy moved from Long Island to Brownsville, Vermont. For many years they wintered in Vero Beach, Florida, or in southern Arizona, where Vic loved the Southwestern scenery.

He spent much of the last part of his life, however, in Vermont, where he and Cordy planted big flower gardens, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees, and also raised chickens, pigs and kept bees. This allowed Vic to live out a dream he'd had since working on a farm in Cornish, NH when he was a boy. He loved their fabulous view of Mount Ascutney, situating his chair so he could see the beauty of the mountain as the sun, clouds, and seasons played upon it. He had an active role in the Brownsville community, relishing driving his antique tractor in the annual fourth of July parade. He had a wonderful group of neighbors and friends.

Vic was a lover of languages, fluent in German and French, and a life-long learner, studying history, poetry, and the Classics until his final days. He led classes for the ILEAD program at Dartmouth. He embraced his Scottish and Canadian heritage and loved attending large McCuaig family reunions in Ontario where he could keep in touch with his nearly 30 Canadian cousins. Ever the sportsman, he enjoyed ice hockey and golf, as well as hunting and fishing. He attended St James Episcopal Church in Woodstock VT and was an acolyte there for several years.

He also absolutely loved to travel, but rarely went on vacation – when he wasn't on a bird hunting trip with his favorite dog, he was studying Homer's Odyssey in Greece or researching family history in Scotland, making each trip into a quest to learn something new. Dogs were a big part Vic's life and he was never without at least one faithful lab or springer spaniel by his side. His last dog, Dandy, a Yorkshire terrier, kept him company in his final days, and died just a few days before Vic.

But nothing was more important to him than his family and friends. He was a wonderful grandfather, father, and husband to a family who will never forget his gentle, warm, inquisitive personality and his sharp wit, which he loved to serve with a round (or two) of drinks in front of a roaring fire in his living room, right until the end.

Vic is survived by his four children, Carl (Mary) McCuaig, Margaret (Andre) Bouffard, Wendy Sardanis, and Duncan (Nancy) McCuaig, his three stepchildren, Ren (Jill) Robb, Cordelia Robb, and Linda (Michael) Boardman, and by his 16 grandchildren and step grandchildren, Christy, Elizabeth, Alex, Dylan, Morgan, Taylor, Andre Jr., Olivia, Michael, Elliott, Phoebe, Lulu, Gabriel, Halley, Colby and Reece.

Vic was pre-deceased by his first wife Elizabeth 'Tina" (Watt) McCuaig (1932-1981), his second wife Cordelia (Reid) McCuaig (1934-2020), his sisters Natalie McCuaig May (1931-1990) and Marcia McCuaig Geer (1935-2020), and stepson Michael Robb (1958-2005).

A graveside service will be planned for the spring when the weather permits. Memorial Contributions can be made to the West Windsor Fast Squad, Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society or The St. James Episcopal Church, Woodstock VT.

The Cabot Funeral Home in Woodstock is assisting the family. An on line guest book can be found at cabotfh.com