There are condolences waiting approval on Stuart "Stu"'s Tribute wall
Celebrating the life of Stuart "Stu" Jay Vincent
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of
Stuart "Stu".
This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate
the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate
to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Obituary for Stuart "Stu" Jay Vincent
Stuart Jay Vincent was born in Long Beach, CA on September 3rd, 1959.
He was the second child born to his parents, Betty Sims and Les Vincent. Stu, 60, passed away at his home on August 28, 2020 in Vacaville, CA.
Stu has always been a very smart guy. He won several math competitions in school, and went on to get a chemistry degree in organic chemistry at Cal Tech. He spent most of his free time playing volleyball with whatever group he could find. He became a Christian while in college, and soon started using his talents for the Lord.
He was going to go to graduate school, but decided to take a year off and get a job. He loved his new job and never looked back. He started working in the lab at the Unocal Refinery in Wilmington, CA, and soon worked his way up to becoming the lab supervisor.
In 1987, he married Ruth Crocker, a girl he had known since he was four years old and attending Sunday School at his church. Stu and Ruth bought a home in Bellflower, CA, and three years after that, they had a daughter, Kelley, born to them. Another three years later, their son, Daniel, was born. Life was good. Stu was very involved with his kids’ lives, and every evening for many years, he would read bedtime stories to them. He went to almost every school activity, sports game, or competition that he could. He loved his kids!
In 1991, Stu went back to school in the evenings to get his chemical engineering degree from Long Beach State University. It took seven years to complete what should have been two years of study because he could only take one class at a time. Even with working full time, he still earned the top grades in his graduating class in the chemical engineering department. Almost immediately after graduation, he was approached to work for a refinery near Benicia, and the family moved to Vacaville.
Stu loved his job, but he loved God more. He had a strong desire to teach kids about God, and spent much of his time towards that goal.
He worked 12 years in the Awana program at Crossroads Church, which was a fun program that taught kids about God and how to memorize scripture. Even when he got sick, he would try to keep going to Awana. He always said that if God would give him the energy, he would use it for His glory.
In 2008, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and told that he had a year and a half to live. He and his family were devastated, but he knew that his life was in God’s hands, no matter what time he had left.
It turned out that the doctors really didn’t know Stu. He was a fighter! Over the last 12 years of his sickness, he had two brain surgeries, many other surgeries to fix problems caused by the cancer, and many seizures that would always cause a week or so of blindness. But through it all, he kept his eyes on God, knowing that He was in control and not the disease.
Stu became bed bound in June of this year, and his health steadily went downhill. He died in his home on August 28, 2020. He will be greatly missed, but we know he is in a better place. He now can see, and is running and dancing in heaven.
Stu was predeceased by his mother, Betty Sims, his step-father, John Sims, his father in law, Leonard Crocker, and his great nephew, Benjamin Zacarria.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Crossroads Church on Saturday, September 12, at 10:30 A.M. The event will be socially distanced and allow for approximately 125 people to attend. Please bring a mask and respect Crossroads’ distancing rules. The service will also be livestreamed on Facebook for anyone who cannot attend in person. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Crossroads’ Game Changer Fund, 190 Butcher Rd, Vacaville, CA 95687. Stu loved serving in the Children’s Ministry and supported youth sports. He was very excited when Crossroads announced that they were planning a sports complex and new student center.
