Vincent L Warner - Online Memorial Website

Memory of our dear Daddy Vincent Warner who departed this life on February 2, 2011

We remember your special life, filled with so much love and goodness

Your kindness, generosity, joy and strength live on in all those who were blessed to love and know you

Your precious memories are in our keeping with which we will never part

God has you safely in his keeping

But we have you forever in our hearts

For all of us you gave the best

Now the time has come for you to rest

So stay in peace, you have earned your sleep

Your love in our hearts we will eternally keep

Sadly missed by Suzette, Adeen, Peta-Gaye, Mr and Mrs Jarrett.

Daddy V:

We are grateful for the time you spent

The moment of laughter and joy shared.

You were truly an inspiration to all of us.

And indeed a man of great strength,

You touched the lives of all those who came around you

And for that, your memories continue to shine before our eyes.

 

One year ago your world stood still

And it feels like an hour ago

You were taken from us so fast without time to say goodbye

Precious memories are all that we have to carry us through

This is still not enough for these burdens of missing you that we bear

Though we know you are gone to be with God

 

Farewell not goodbye

Hoping to meet you someday when the pearly gates unfurl

 

Sadly missed by Suzette, Adeen, Peta-Gaye and Mr and Mrs Jarrett.

 

 

It was the roaring 90's, a group of Christians from Canada plus Don and Vera Welborn from the US were in Montego Bay, Trelawny and Hanover for special meetings which included a memorial service for the late Bro Hugh Clacken. Our memories of Bro. Warner revolve around his concern for our welbeing and even moreso, his concern that in all things we would honour the Lord, who he honoured and served. When our Lord returns we are confident that Mr Warner will move with his accustomed speed to meet Him in the air. We know that his departure means sorrow for his beloved wife, but we know in Whom she believes and are assured that He will keep that which she has committed unto Him against that day.

My fondest memory of Uncle Vincent was when I was a child, a stubborn one at that, and he was teaching me to tie my shoe laces. I never really saw the need to learn to do such a thing so Uncle Vincent would always tie them for me. It so happened that one day he decided that it was time for me to learn how to tie them myself. We sat outside of church for a long time whilst he taught me to tie them. He realized that we were getting nowhere as I was not interested in learning to tie them myself, so he tied them for me. Upon walking away I fell. I fell because he tied my shoes together. It is safe to say that after that I put some effort into learning to tie my shoes.

I will always love you Uncle Vincent and may God keep you as he is best suited for your company right now.

Vincent Warner
He was tall and skinny, quiet yet strong spiritually, physically, and emotionally deep, that was my Dad, one you could depend on, he was there when you least expected, care and compassion emanated from his wry smile yet stern countenance.

Dad came into my life at the tender age of eight and he immediately made sure my spiritual life was secured and safe. Thelma and the boys Robert and Konrad became my second family and I became the daughter, eager to learn and grow in grace, both adopted parents laid the foundation for who I am today. Thelma became my mom and she took care of the girly stuff and Dad made sure I was walking right as the Lord ordained. Which included my way of dress, the school work , the behavior not loud or boisterous but calm and modulated. They genuinely cared for me as a person and became an integral part of my life.

I remember the weekends to the country and the times we would get lost and when mom said, "Vincent we are lost", he would obstinately ignore us until finally we would find our way out. The care he showed for the elderly, making sure their basic needs were met, the young, you could not be missing from church for any extended period, Dad would be there to find out what was going on and your excuse had to be a good one. He was loved by many, misunderstood by some, but Dad was Dad and he would let nothing stop him from fulfilling his God-given purpose being a father to the fatherless like myself and help to the widows and the aged.

I am proud to have had him in my life, the values and ethical standards that were passed to me I now pass to my children, I serve others as they served, selflessly; I know he would be proud of his handiwork.

He ran a good race and finished his course, and is now with his Father.

Dad I will always love you.

There is never a moment when The Warner's are not touching someone's life.  Elder Vincent Warner and his family have been a part of my life for almost four decades.  Uncle Vincent's passing is a tremendous loss for me and I am deeply saddened. However, I am comforted to know that he is absent from us but present with the Lord.  I recently visited them in Florida.  My memory of their delicious cooking was instantly refreshed when I saw the table set with a mouth-watering, finger-licking meal.  I ate like I did at their table almost every Sunday evening after church at Emmanuel Chapel in Jamaica where I grew up.   

During the visit, Uncle Vincent reminded me of something that happened when my mother visited me in Jamaica from the United States.  She decided to wear her GREEN AND WHITE, CHECKERED BELL-BOTTOM PANTS ----ON SUNDAY MORNING----- to visit our church. I was twelve years old in the 1970's and for some reason I thought that wearing pants to church was 'ABOMINABLE,' so I decided to 'disown' her on that day.  When I got to church, late as I usually did, I saw Mom sitting in my  special seat, next to my best friend.  I refused to sit next to her, in my usual seat, so I went to sit in the front row. This was after being pinched and sternly scolded for being late by Elder Warner. Then Mom did the most embarassing thing one could do to a twelve year old:  She got up, wearing her GREEN AND WHITE, BELL -BOTTOM PANTS and sat next to me. I ran outside and cried hysterically.  Uncle Vincent ran to my rescue after a crowd had gathered around me in the church yard and I sat on the ground, bawling. I remembered his warm hug and comforting words as he consoled me as a father would his daughter.  

Thank you Uncle Vincent and say hello to Mom for me.  I'm sure I will not get one of your 'stinging pinches' when I get to heaven as I won't be late.  God bless you Aunty Thelma and the rest of the family.
Love always, Sharon.

He was truly a wonderful person. I first met Mr Warner at Emmanuel in the early 1980's through my brother, Speedy. He was always so encouraging.... always insisting on high Christian conduct from everyone. He gave me my first preaching opportunity at Emmanuel in 1988, and I haven't stopped preaching since. Thank you my beloved, brother and elder. I will never forget his wise words that have helped to shape my life over these many years.

 

Pauline remembers Mr Warner as a very caring, jovial,  and encouraging gentleman. We miss him but his work and influence will continue to impact our lives.

 

Mrs. Warner and the rest of the family, be strong, feel comforted in the eternal truth that he's gone to be with the Lord. What a great reunion it's going to be when all the saints are gathered in glory. Love and peace to you all.

Vince my dear, dear spiritual father and loyal confidant.

When I migrated from Kingston just over twenty years ago, Thelma and Vince opened their hearts and home to me. I have been so priviledged to have them in my life. It took me a little time to see beyond the stern demeanour of Vincent. Someone with a penetrating ability to see someone's problem or situation and care enough to advise or help in whatever way he could.

He was someone who you could talk to at anytime. Our best times were 11.00pm. It was trouble for me if it was on a morning because I would be extremely late for work. This was partly because he would tend to repeat to be certain that you understood what was being said. And also, because he had a dry wit and never lost his Bajan accent, he would sometimes deliberately speak quickly.

He just had God's love for people and was very kind and generous. He never feared to admonish when it was necessary and would frequently say. "It's not me that say so, It's God's word that says so."

His witness was one of desiring to walk in God's way and by the power of our Father's Holy Spirit he did. One of his favourite verses was Proverbs 3: 5&6.

He made a mean yam casserole and no matter how I tried I could not get mine as delicious.

It's difficult to use the past tense to speak of Vince because he lives in my heart and mind. I can only think of one fault and one idiosyncrasy and the latter I shared with him but not to his extent. The fault- He was always late except for Breaking of Bread but that is after putting Thelma through wondering if they would be on time. The idiosyncrasy- Constant washing of his hands . His hands were frequently white when you looked at them.

I know that you are resting in Our Saviour's arms Vince.

And there is much more I would like to say of him.

Father, Brother, Friend and Mentor

 

It is noted that Marcus Aurelius said “We ought to be good to others as simply and as naturally as  a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne”.  This comment certainly epitomizes the character  and goodness of Vincent Warner.

 

I have known Vincent for close to forty years and throughout that time I have always known him to be thoughtful, kind, respectable, caring and the best friend anyone could ever hope to have. His sudden passing has given me occasion of great sadness, but I am thankful for the blessing of having known him, for the time he shared with us on earth and the lessons he taught us.

 

It was late 1969 when I first met Mr. Warner, as I’ve always called him.  I had just started my job at Barclays Bank in Montego Bay and was quite a friendless soul in a totally new and somewhat unfamiliar environment. He was at that time in charge of the bank’s treasury and I was in charge of processing the foreign exchange transactions which included creating a microfilm of transactions and delivering the tapes to him at the end of each day for safekeeping in the vault. Each day as I descended the stairs to the vault I could see him and his co-worker through the secured area, diligently counting and monitoring the piles of cash that was their domain. He, always dressed in a well tailored white shirt and black slacks. Those were the days of mini-skirts and the hemlines were usually very high and mine was no different.  But invariably he would comment about my not being able to afford enough cloth for a proper skirt which for a while became a running joke. But it was good for a laugh and made my days at work quite a bit more pleasant. He always greeted me with a smile and pleasant conversation. He was a unique self-directed and principled man which was evidenced in his reaction to a career transfer opportunity which he turned down at great personal and career sacrifice because that was not  the choice for him. He loved Montego Bay, which he thought was a better place for him and his family and moreso, he had no desire to live elsewhere at that time.

 

I have a fond recollection of a car they bought (I believe it was a Peugeot) with a very eye catching yet subtle color which I still haven’t quite figured out if it was lavender or purple or a dark shade of pink, but it which was the talk among the bank staff because it was so rare and it certainly was a reflection of this unusual person I came to know as my friend, brother and mentor and to a great extent, a father. It was also through our daily interactions and the passing of micro fiche that he learned that I was looking for suitable accommodations and he generously offered me the opportunity to reside at their home in Montego Hills.

 

This opportunity was certainly a positive turning point in my life and served to be a continuing anchor as I reached other milestones with his encouragement. Mr. Warner and his family became a part of what I call my firm foundation. Within the bonds of their friendship, I grew and matured and through their kindness, their home became my home and my anchor. When they moved from Montego Hills to Unity Hall the ‘Welcome Mat’ was always there for me. I left Jamaica in 1972, but always maintained the family contact even though sometimes there were extended absences. Whenever I was on the island, I would always stop at their home first for it was where I got my bearings or ‘recharged my batteries’. His caring and generosity extended to his neighbors, friends and his church community as I have witnessed many who have benefited from his mentorship and involvement in their lives. Often several of us would show up at the house at the same time.

 

The gardens around their home at Unity Hall were always a fascinating and delightful place to visit. Mr. Warner loved to garden, although he would always say it’s Thelma’s garden he always showed it off to me with eagerness and pride, noting that it was always a work-in-progress as his creative spirit would continue to inspire new things to do. There was usually something new sprouting under the foliage or in the orchid house and in cute little hidden places. This I think must have been the inspiration for the name for their shop “Something New” which was quite appropriate.  He loved the Tan Tan bushes in his garden and always pointed out to me that it was from Barbados, the place of his birth as he stroked them with a sense of special attachment. My children and I spent a lot of happy times on these garden tours with him and in discovering a ‘new thing’ that he created since our last visit.  New things for us to see such and an extension of the goldfish pond, water lilies added to the pond, the orchid house, Konrad’s airplane he dragged down from where it crashed on the mountain, unusual plants  and the second story addition to the house. It is ironic that in all these years, many of my visits were around valentine’s day, as it is now, my farewell visit. A time he always noted was the busiest, but he enjoyed it because of the sentiments of the time.

 

Vincent could be a very funny man when he had a mind to it and he had quite a penchant for making fun of my oversized nose, so much so that I usually have to cover it when approaching him as he would curve his fingers and get my nose in a lock. It so happens that my children suffered the same fate with him as they inherited the same prominent appendage on their faces that seemed to be a magnet for his fingers. My daughter was known to dash under the table when she saw him coming.  Another of his quirks was his crazy way of putting a literal spin on the things you say to him and if he was in the mood to digress from a conversation, one could never keep the conversation on a straight path. This he could keep up indefinitely and just when you thought he got serious, off he’d go again.

 

As a real estate agent Vincent was very instrumental in our success in the acquisition of property that seemed to be quite out of reach due to bureaucracy among other things.  His dedication, creative and relentless effort made it possible to overcome the obstacles that stood in the way of success. He was a man of great patience and quiet perseverance and a gentle spirit.

 

Vincent’s devotion and love for his family is to be admired. It was evident that he held each member of his immediate and extended family in highest regard and with pride and love, never forgetting to share news of their latest accomplishments. I will miss his voice on the other end of the line and will always remember him with great fondness for he was my father, my brother, my mentor and my friend. May he find comfort eternal peace in the arms of an angel.

FLORAH TRENCH WRIGHT, CPA, MBA

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, USA