Veikko "Vic" Uotinen

Veikko “Vic” Uotinen, 80, of Lynchburg, went to be with his Lord on Monday, September 30, 2019. He was the husband of the late Kathryn “Kay” Evans Uotinen for fifty-two years.

Vic was born in Helsinki, Finland, on October 6, 1938, the son of the late Rev. William Uotinen and the late Vappu Kortelainen. His family immigrated to the United States shortly after his birth and Vic spent his early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, where he became a lifelong Dodgers fan. He returned to Finland for 3 years during elementary school, then came back to the US to Plainfield, Connecticut where he graduated high school before leaving home to study physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Vic met the love of his life Kathryn “Kay” Evans while pursuing graduate studies at the University of Michigan and after their marriage they moved to Richland, Washington where Vic began a long career in the nuclear energy industry. A longtime member of the American Nuclear Society, Vic served on its ethics committee for several years. In the 1970’s he founded the Christian Nuclear Fellowship, with which he remained active for the rest of his life.  During the 1970s-90’s Vic also served as American agent for elite distance runners from Finland and in that capacity became a well-known face at the Boston and New York marathons.  Vic retired from the nuclear industry in the late 1990’s and began his second career in which he served on staff for nearly 15 years as the Director of Missions at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Along with his wife Kay, he founded the Lynchburg International Friendship Exchange (“LIFE”) Club, a friendship and cultural exchange program connecting local families with international college students studying in the Lynchburg area. Through the LIFE club he became surrogate parent, grandparent and treasured friend to scores of students studying far away from their homelands.

Vic is preceded in death by his parents William and Vappu Uotinen, his beloved wife of 52 years Kathryn Evans Uotinen, his brother Kyosti “Gus” Uotinen and his sister Vuokko “Esther” Harris.

He is survived by his children, daughter Joan Adcock and her husband, David of Lynchburg, and son Karl Uotinen and his wife, Lisa of Fincastle; grandchildren,  Kathryn McKinney, Elizabeth Bayse, Alexandra Adcock, Danny Adcock, Ana Uotinen, Amie Uotinen, and Lauren Uotinen; and his great-grandchildren, Cailey Bayse, James Bayse, Caitlyn Bayse, and Chloe Gunnoe.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, October 4, 2019, at Tharp Funeral Home in Lynchburg. A memorial service will be held at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 5, 2019, with the Rev. Brett Eubank officiating. Following the service the family invites you to join them for a reception in the Cheatham Center. Interment will take place privately.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Missions budget of Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 2424 Rivermont Avenue, Lynchburg, VA 24503.

Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.