|
Light a Candle
Vincent, affectionately known as "Vinny" was born June 17th 1946 at Cumberland Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Guimar Silva and John Fonseca and was the youngest of siblings Carol, George, Judith, and Beatrice. At 18 he enlisted in the Navy and fought in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968 earning a National Defense Service Medal and a Vietnam Service Medal. His service on the aircraft carrier USS Oak Hill took him all over the world but namely South East Asia. He landed at ports in Hawaii, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Vietnam, and the Phillipines. On February 27th 1965 he married Betty Tinsley. Together they raised his three sons, Vincent Jr., Kenneth, and Shawn. After being honorably discharged from the Navy as a Seaman he attended Delahanty Institute of Automobile Mechanics and worked as a mechanic in and for New York City for over 20 years. He worked for the New York City Department of Highway from 1970 to 1979 and proudly served as Deputy Superintendent of the New York City Transit Authority M.A.B.S.T.O.A. from 1984 to 1992. During this time his youngest children Davinnia and Marjorie were begat to him by Deidre Galloway. Eventually the war caught up with him and he left the MTA. His later years were strife with health issues but he still had life's little joys. He was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed watching and playing golf, attending baseball games, and was always watching Nascar or the Olympics. He also enjoyed riding motorcycles and never stopped working on cars or being fascinated by boats. Vinny enjoyed telling stories whether they be war stories, something about his day, or about those turkeys at the post office. He loved cooking and Mexican food. Vincent was preceded in death by his mother Guimar, his father John, his sisters; Carol, Judith, and Beatrice as well as his brother George. He is survived by ex wife Betty Tinsley and the mother of his daughters; Deidre Galloway, his sons; Vincent Jr., Kenneth (wife Lea), Shawn (wife Karina), his daughters; Davinnia and Marjorie (husband Xavier), his grandchildren; Donell, Vincent III, Jamal, Angela, Kinshema, Shawnta, Ariana, Daykwon, Tiffany, Brittany, Jaden, Nicholas, Leah, Nasir, Nadia, Nia, Zachary, and Mekhi and his great grandchildren; Kaylah, Kirah, Kiarrah, Bless, McKenzie, Brianna, Nathan, Sofia, Serenity, and Adonis.
