Robert Persichitti, a 102-year-old World War II U.S. Navy veteran, passed away last week while on his way to France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, according to Honor Flight Rochester, a veteran’s organization.

Persichitti was a “wonderful, pleasant, humble guy,” said Honor Flight Rochester President and CEO Richard Stewart. “We miss him.”

While Persichitti passed away bound for Normandy — where the Allied forces’ landing on June 6, 1944, laid the foundation for the defeat of Nazi Germany — he served in the Pacific theater as a radioman aboard the USS Eldorado, according to CNN.

His tour of duty included Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guam, according to the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame, into which Persichitti was inducted in 2020.

Persichitti became ill last week during a stop in Germany while headed for Normandy; he was airlifted to the hospital and died soon after, his friend, Al DeCarlo, said.

Persichitti was born in a coal mining town outside Pittsburgh.

After the war, Persichitti worked as a carpentry teacher in Rochester, New York.

Persichitti enjoyed speaking with younger generations about his experiences, often visiting schools to talk with students about World War II.

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