The first memorial service for a victim of Monday's mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard is scheduled for Thursday.
The family and friends of Vishnu (Kisan) B. Pandit, 61, will remember him during a service Thursday afternoon at a Rockville, Md., funeral home.
Pandit was "a loving husband, father of two adult children, father-in-law, grandfather and friend," his family said in a statement shortly after his death.
Pandit, who lived in North Potomac, Md., grew up in India and moved with his family for a better life in the United States in 1974, his family said.
He completed his graduate studies at the University of Michigan.
Pandit worked as a civilian for the Navy for more than 25 years and was proud of his work. He "felt extremely privileged to have contributed to the superiority of the U.S. Navy and the country that he served," said his family's statement.
"He loved the Navy," said a friend, Nuns Jain. "He has devoted his life to the Navy for 30-plus years."
In lieu of flowers, Pandit's family requests donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.
Eleven others also died in the shooting Monday, many of whom had long worked at the Navy Yard or served the country.
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