William Thomas Vincent

William “Bill” Thomas Vincent entered into the presence of His Savior on February 5, 2026, after an extended illness. His Good Shepherd rescued him on June 10, 1962, transforming him from a godless young Marine into a follower of Christ and a loving husband and father. While stationed at Pearl Harbor, Bill married Janie Burnett (Amarillo, TX) in a union that lasted more than 63 years until his death.

Bill was born in Detroit, MI to Walter & Elnora (Stark) Vincent. The family included four sisters (Betty, Ethel, Judy, & Doris (surviving)) and a brother (Mike). He also had four half-brothers (Lester, Jerry, Roger, & Lenny) and a half-sister (Mary Jo).

Bill served in the Marines for 20 years, retiring in 1979 as a First Sergeant. Highlighting his service were three tours in Vietnam, two Mediterranean tours, and many years as a recruiter in Georgia and Indiana. Following his military career, he fulfilled his dream to attend Bible college, graduating first in his class from Indiana Baptist College in 1983 with a BRE in Religious Education. He completed a Masters in Theology (1995) and a ThD (1996) from Andersonville Baptist Seminary. His post-military career in the offset printing industry flowed through Autographics and J. Thomas McHugh in Indianapolis. He also served as interim pastor at Victory Baptist Church (Whiteland) and Chapel Creek Baptist on the west side of Indianapolis. He was an active member of Burge Terrace Baptist Church since 1978 and faithfully taught adult Bible study classes. In his “Grandpa” years, the children of the church lovingly called him the “Candy Man.”

Their children (all surviving) are William (Tom) & Kimberly (Telfer) Vincent of Atlanta, GA; Milton & Donna (Woods) Vincent of Riverside, CA; Robert & Jeanne (Seaman) Vincent of Cincinnati, OH; and Todd & Kim Curtis of Indpls., IN. Bill’s seventeen grandchildren adored him, regularly dueling with him to see who could first greet the other with “Love you more, beat you first - infinity!” In order, they are Brooke (Jason) Colegrove, Brendan (Maggie) Vincent, Anna (TJ) Cornelius, Katie (Garrett) Fell, Lydia Vincent, Benjamin Vincent, Kyrsten (Solomon) Kondeti, Jordan Vincent, Asher (Darcy) Vincent, Breanna (Jake) Brussard, Kristina (Jake) Lozano, Joshua (Chandre) Vincent, Sophia Vincent, Jonathan (Kayla) Curtis, Jenna Vincent, Isaac Vincent, and Ariella Vincent. Their seven great-grandchildren are: Kyla & Logan Colegrove, Izzy & Ella Vincent, Eden Lozano, Emorie Curtis, Millie Mae Vincent, and another currently on the way!

His children rejoice that each of them was swept up in the wide river of God’s grace channeled to them through their father’s life and are thankful for the godly heritage bequeathed to them.

Bill will be buried in a private ceremony; his Celebration of Life service will be held at Burge Terrace Baptist Church on Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:30. Memorial gifts may be made to Burge Terrace Baptist Church.