North Texas Catholic

Texan killed in Algerian plant attack recalled as ultimate family man

By Sarah Dupre

Catholic News Service

01/24/2013

Mike Lovelady, the brother of Victor Lovelady, an American worker killed in a terrorist attack in Algeria, and Erin Lovelady, Victor's daughter, talk to the media during a Jan. 22 press conference in Nederland, Texas. Victor Lovelady, a member of St. Cha rles Borromeo Parish in Nederland, was one of three American civilians killed at the Ain Amenas gas plant in Algeria during a four-day siege by al-Qaida that began early Jan. 16. (CNS photo/Sarah Dupre, East Texas Catholic)

NEDERLAND, Texas (CNS) -- A former parishioner of a Catholic parish in Nederland, Victor Lovelady, was one of the three American civilians killed at the Ain Amenas gas plant in Algeria during a four-day siege by al-Qaida.

At a news conference early Jan. 22, Lovelady's daughter, Erin, described her father as the ultimate family man. She recalled her father spending every weekend supporting her and her brother, Grant, in sports while they were at Nederland High School.

A former member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Victor was a 57-year-old project manager for the Houston-based energy firm ENGlobal Corp. While his son, Grant, was still in high school, he had a chance to work in Houston. Instead of uprooting his son, he chose to travel back and forth from Houston, and it was that job that took him to the gas-production complex deep in the Sahara in Algeria.

He was one of at least 23 workers taken hostage by Islamist militants early Jan. 16 and killed when the Algerian Army carried out a final assault that ended the four-day siege. Besides the three Americans, workers from Britain, France, Japan and other countries were among the dead.

Mike Lovelady, Victor Lovelady's brother, hosted the news conference, and said he is determined to stay on top of his younger brother's death.

"These were just civilians doing a job to support their families. It's just brutal and uncalled for," he said, adding that "we're just hoping our government can catch" who is responsible for their deaths.

Victor Lovelady had only been in Algeria a short time when the attack took place. He left for Algeria Jan. 13. His family was notified by the FBI early Jan. 19 that he was one of the workers who were killed.

Lovelady's funeral will be held at St. Charles, but a date will be determined after the family is notified further of when Lovelady's remains will be flown home.

The Ain Amenas plant is a joint venture operated by British firm BP, Statoil of Norway and Sonatrach of Algeria.

Dupre writes for the East Texas Catholic, newspaper of the Beaumont Diocese.