Bret R Vincent, 63, passed away early in the morning on July 27, 2021, surrounded by his family. He was born on May 27, 1958, in San Francisco, California, to Ronald Glen Vincent and Lenore Bennion Vincent. He grew up in Clarence, New York, along with his siblings: Scott Bennion, Marcus Alan, Lorraine, and Lisa Cherie. It was while growing up In New York that he developed a love for the arts and performed in several high school musicals and upper-level choirs.
Bret attended BYU and achieved both a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a PhD in Instructional Science and Technology. It’s at BYU, in his freshman year, at jitterbug club that he met Sue Ellen Gilman. They were married December of 1979, after Bret served in the Kaushung, Taiwan Mission. Over time, they created a beautiful family of six children: Daniel Park, Andrew Bret, Matthew Shea, Alexander Taylor, Emily Paige, and Aaron Sterling. They are truly his greatest treasure.
Bret’s work and adventurous spirit took their family to all of the following locations: North Attleboro, Massachusetts; Raleigh, North Carolina; Poughkeepsie, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; Branden, Florida; Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; Matthews, North Carolina; and Fall City, Washington. They finally settled in Woodland Hills, Utah, where he dedicated his life to the care of his father.
Bret brought incredible gifts of love and authenticity to this world. One of his favorite quotes is:
“No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other’s worth.” ~ Southey
Bret found worth in everyone. Those of us who walked through life with him were continually blessed by his keen sense of sincere and deep connection. He left too soon. We look forward to continuing the adventures in the next life.
A visitation for family and friends will be Saturday, July 31, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Woodland Hills Church, 220 Woodland Hills Drive, Woodland Hills, Utah. Following the visitation, the funeral service for Bret will be in the church chapel, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Interment will be later that afternoon at the Provo City Cemetery, Provo, Utah.
Those family and friends who are not able to attend Bret’s funeral services, in person, can watch his funeral by clicking on the following link, beginning approximately 12:45 p.m., prior to the services.
http://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/events/woodlandhillsstake
2 Condolences for Bret R Vincent
Condolences(2)
Alfred Thurl Jacobson Jr. says
July 29, 2021 at 5:34 pmDear Sue Ellen, I was so sorry to read of Bret’s passing. May the Lord bless and comfort you and your family during this difficult time.
Love, Thurl
Vickie Fischer says
July 30, 2021 at 3:14 pmSue Ellen, this is on my heart and hope I can relay my feelings so you know how much I love and care about you and Bret! There are a ton of adjectives I could use to describe Bret, and I’ll give it a go. Bret is kind, loving, thoughtful, intelligent, soft-spoken, adventurous, funny, handsome, spiritual, loyal, etc., etc. He always made me and Blaine feel special, like we were the most amazing people in his eyes. I would venture to say that he had a way of making everyone he came in contact with feel that way! He’s always been so fun to be around and up for a good time! And we did have MANY good times! There was no question about the deep love Bret had/has for you! It was so evident in the way he treated you and was so proud of you and your many talents and accomplishments! I know he loves the Lord and he taught some amazing lessons in church that helped enlighten me on gospel principles. It’s hard to put into words, but one of the main lessons I remember him teaching was to be in the moment, even if it means missing a church meeting or commitment. Children and families are way more important than following every single rule and guideline if they need something else at that time. He was a great example of that kind of unconditional love that he had for his children, and everyone! (Except the lady in the movie theater that had a lot of little kids and let them run all over the place during the movie and make a lot of noise!) Haha! He was always smiling just like in this picture! Such an infectious smile and such beautiful bright eyes that seem to go right through you, like he genuinely cared about you and what you had to say! Blaine and I have missed you and Bret tremendously since you moved from NC, but have always kept in touch. No matter how far away we have been, our friendship has been a strong bond, which I know will continue throughout eternity! It is our constant prayer that you and your family will be comforted by the Holy Ghost in your times of loneliness and sorry and find great peace in knowing families are forever and you will be with him again in just a matter of time.
With all my Love,
Vickie