Richard Edwin Vincent

Richard Edwin Vincent returned home to his Father in heaven on 4 Dec. 2020 in South Jordan Utah. He was born on 1 Dec. 1929 and celebrated his 91st birthday before his passing.

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He married Dorothy Ellen Simpson on the 26th of Dec. 1952. This marriage was later solemnized in Mesa Arizona Temple. She passed away on 27 March 1981. He later married LaJune Sharp on the 5th of Nov. 1982 in the Jordan River Utah Temple.

Richard attended Washington Elementary, Horace Mann Junior High and West High School.

He enlisted in the Air Force in 1948, beginning his military Career.

He completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. After basic training he attended Carpentry School at Francis E Warren Air Force base, near Cheyenne, Wyoming.

His first overseas tour was in Okinawa, Japan from 1949-1951, at the beginning of the Korean War.

He served at Suffolk County Air Force Base near Westhampton Beach, on Long Island New York and later assigned to the 118th Fighter Inceptor Squadron located in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1952 he attended Radio Operator School at Keesler Air Force Base, located near Biloxi, Mississippi and became the barracks chief. Upon graduating he attended the Airborne Radio Operator Course.

In 1953, he began his second tour of duty in Japan. Due to his previous experience on an anti-aircraft machine gun turret while on Okinawa, he was temporarily assigned to the 32nd AAA Battery Army unit. After his release from his Army assignment, he was assigned to Detachment 47 of the 528th Aircraft Control and Warning Group, a radar site located at Kasogi, near Nagoya, Japan.

In 1954 he returned to the States and was stationed to the 6332nd Air Base Group, Communications Squadron, in Arizona as a radio operator.

In 1957 his Air Force enlistment expired and he joined the Air National Guard headquarters of the 130TH Aircraft Control and Warning Flight in Salt Lake City, a radar operator.

He created, organized, and managed the training program for the Radar Operations Section and became the Radar Operations Training Supervisor. After just about ten months of joining the Flight, he was second in command of the largest section in the flight, the Radar Operations Section. He was First Sargent of the 130th.

Among his most treasured achievements was his time as an instructor and curriculum developer at the ANG NCO Officer Leadership School at McGee Tyson AFB in Louisville, Tennessee, just outside of Knoxville, in 1970.

Not only did he become an instructor, he was the Director of Training and wrote the Leadership Training Curriculum.

The NCO academy was among the first Air Guard units awarded the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award in 1972. That same year the Air Force Association honored it with the Citation of Honor.

The academy has since celebrated over 52 years of operation.

He retired his career honorably with the rank of Chief Master Sargent.

Richard was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many callings as Sunday School Superintendent, Scout Master, Ward Clerk, High Priest Group Leader and Instructor, Stake High Council, a Counselor in the Branch Presidency and Bishopric and others. He loved teaching and especially teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Richard is survived by his wife LaJune, children Richard Jr. (Julie), Steven (Cheryl), Susan (Mike), David (Tiffany), stepchildren Cheri (Mike), Randa, Bret (Annette), Gregg (Brenda), Gary (Cassia), 38 grandchildren, 69 great grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Dorothy Ellen Simpson, a granddaughter, Julianne, and daughter-in-law, Tiffany.

A public viewing will be held on Thursday Dec 10, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Memorial Redwood located at 6500 S Redwood Rd. Due to pandemic restrictions, a private family only funeral service will be held on Friday, December 11 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at the South Jordan Utah Country Park Stake located at 2447 W 11400 S. A private viewing for the family will be from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m.at the church prior to the service. The funeral service will be streamed live over a webcast. The address is http://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/southjordanutahcountryparkstake

Interment will be at the Memorial Redwood Cemetery.