Wesley Vincent

hello he was my grandpa and I did not want his life to end

I can truly and respectfully say without equivocation that I know of no other couple (Wes & Sharon) who have unseiceingly supported each other's efforts and dedication of all their time and talent throughout their entire lives to the service of our God in their serving His earthly children. The efforts they have expended and the way they have lived their lives are great examples of how we all should turn to and follow our Savior Jesus Christ.

Mr. Wes, you were a true friend. I loved the way you dressed. Man you were always sharp. I thank you and your wife for giving us the warmest greeting when we moved into the area. I will miss you my friend

Three things come to mind when I think of Wes: Something impromptu – Before their marriage, Wes, Sharon, and I hiked in the fall of 1972 to the bottom of the Grand Canyon – I was their chaperone! While I was on a short assignment at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, TX, Wes invited me out for a weekend visit. Arriving on a Friday afternoon, Wes sprung the trip on me, saying that he had inquired about necessary visitor permits to camp at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Canyon. I said sure, and we scurried around that afternoon getting some backpacks, snacks, canned food, sleeping bags, and canteens. (Although my memory says we also carried a one-gallon reused plastic container for extra water that we swapped off carrying by hand!) On Saturday morning we picked up Sharon (who I was meeting for the first time), drove up to the Canyon, got our permits, and hiked down the 10-mile trail to the bottom of the canyon that drops a mile in altitude. We spent the night under the stars, and I remember mule deer rummaging in our backpacks in the middle of the night, probably for the graham crackers! The next morning, we started early on our return trip, since it takes a lot longer to hike back up to the South Rim than to come down. After arriving back at the top, we grabbed a quick bite of lunch, then made a quick return to the Phoenix area as I had a flight to catch. We saw a lot of beautiful scenery both ways, and of course the Canyon itself. Wes had hiking boots, I had my Army boots, but Sharon, I think, had only sneakers. She wound up with very sore feet for a few days! Something unique – Wes’s fingerprints are on the moon! At one of the first places he was employed (Motorola in AZ?), he worked hands-on a piece of equipment that wound up staying on the moon on one of the lunar missions. His parents got a big kick out of that! Something that made a difference – Wes, an electrical engineer, will always be recognized as one of the key people in the development of computer use in vehicles. In 1986, GM/Delco hired him away to IN from Silicon Valley in CA to be one of their leaders in introducing solid-state computer technology to motor vehicles. They started simply, if I remember correctly, measuring tire pressure for alerts to the driver when too low. They moved on to measuring fuel injection for optimal performance, sensor measurements, and of course all the on-board instrumentation and communication electronics. Today a car has more computer power under the hood than the first Lunar Lander. Wes worked in that area until his retirement in January 2002.

Sending Love to all the family! May you treasure shared memories of Wes and cherish each other as a family. Praying for you!

Rest in peace Uncle Wes. I love you.

Wes was born and raised in Colonie, NY, a suburb of Albany. Much of our social life as kids revolved around church activities and seeing the many relatives nearby. By high school, Wes had earned a place on the varsity baseball team and was one of the best French Horn players in NY, proven by getting first chair whenever he was in an Allstate Band Festival. One of my childhood memories is hearing him practice diligently in the finished basement. He was offered a French Horn scholarship to college but decided to become an engineer and headed off to the University of Iowa. He wrote home every week without fail. He married his high school sweetheart and fathered two daughters, Lauri and Jenni. Our mom loved to sew cute dresses for them. The marriage ended before 10 years had passed. His sorrow and disappointment were very difficult, but a couple years later, he was shopping for a new shirt and tie when the cute salesgirl caught his eye. Gathering his courage, he asked her out for coffee. He kept calling until she took a chance and agreed to meet him. Sharon and Wes were married on December 16, 1972. Paul and Andrew came on the scene soon, followed by Joel and Levi. Levi is named for our great, great, great, grandfather and his father whose graves we have visited several times in Alcove, NY. The Vincent family has been in the US since at least 1690, and Wes did our line of that family proud by contributing four sons to carry on the name. Wes’s first jobs were in Arizona with Motorola and then Bowman. They moved to California when he worked for Exar, and finally Kokomo, IN to work for Delco Electronics until retirement. He took up running for exercise and kept at it for many years, signing up for runs around the US, and with his daughter, sons-in-law, and anyone else he could get to join him. I remember one day when he put me on a bike to ride along with him. He kept saying, “just a bit further” and the next day I could hardly walk. This was unfortunate because he’d signed me up to accompany him in church while he played his trumpet (that he now played instead of French Horn). I had to pull myself up by grabbing the back of the pew in front of me and walk to the piano on jelly legs. Thanks a lot, brother! A couple times my husband, Russ, would join him in trumpet duets, in different locations, even in Saudi Arabia where we lived for many years. Too many times one hears of discord in families and siblings not speaking to one another. How blessed we were to love, admire and encourage one another our entire lives.

It's been many years since I've seen Wes (or Sharon!) but we're nonetheless saddened to learn of this loss and have been praying for you all. I was on the original team with him in South Africa back in 2002-2003(ish) after meeting and staying with them during our prefield training in Kokomo. I remember him as an enthusiastic and hard working person who cared well for the people he encountered in ministry, always ready to break out his trumpet. :) Blessings to you all as you grieve this loss, and celebrate his homegoing and release from many years of illness.(This photo is from September 2003 on a roadside in South Africa)

My sincere condolences......In His Love and in mine. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Love you Grandpa. I’ll see you again someday. 🤍🕊

My condolences to Sharon and the family. Wes was a wonderful person. I worked as his secretary at Delco Ekectronics.

Your family is in my prayers. Your dear father has left a wonderful family as his legacy.

This photo depicts one of my fondest memories of the time I spent with Wes. We ran many races together over the years, including the Mini Indy, NY Marathon and Philadelphia Distance Run (pictured) multiple times. Wes started running late in life, but pursued it as he did most things, methodically and passionately. We had great times preparing to run, talking about running shoes and of course dissecting our race experiences. I couldn’t ask for a better running buddy or Father in law. Godspeed Wes as you run some new routes and attain your latest PR. Love Dick

We were privileged to get to know Wes and Sharon during their volunteer work in South Africa. It thankfully became a wonderful and sweet friendship! We are so thankful to have known Wes and wish Sharon and all the sons, daughters, and grandchildren the peace of the Lord (our Prince of Peace) and His comfort (He is described as the God of all comfort). We love you Sharon! ♥️🙏🏼

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.