Obituary • Eulogy • Homily • Photos • Condolences
Brother VINCENT LEON DOYLE (67) of Redemption Sharpes died on Tuesday 16th September, 2014. The funeral service took place on Saturday 27th September at the Kingstown Church of Christ meeting place. The body lay at the building from 2:00 p.m. The service began at 3:00 followed by burial at the Kingstown Cemetery. Our thoughts and prayers are with his widow, sis. Doyle, family and friends.
Eulogy of Vincent Leon Doyle | By John Horne |
Last Thursday 18th September I had occasion to go to ECGC to deliver a document that the company needed to proof. As many of you would know the reception office is just inside the gate so it was easy for me to park at the gate without blocking traffic and walk a few feet through the small entrance toward the reception desk. There I saw my cousin Vincent sitting with other members of staff on either side of him. He looked very well and so I complimented him on how well he looked. He smiled and we chatted. I asked whether he had received the prosthesis. I turned to the lady on his right and said to her, “This gentleman is my cousin yuh know. " She said, "Really?" We chatted for a few minutes, I delivered my message and left. Consider my utter consternation on Tuesday morning when Elvis arrived at my office to give me the sad news.
For the many years I have known Vincent, particularly after he had begun to put on weight, I have always seen him as the gentle giant. Some would say, "the gentle, lovable giant". His wife, now his widow, his siblings and countless others describe him as genuine, honest, kind, most certainly free-handed and helpful. Anita sings his praises as a good helper in the home. He washed, he cooked, he cleaned the home. She believed that he believed he was the cleanest person on earth.
Vincent was born on the 21st January 1947 to Leon and Thelma Doyle of Edinboro. He received his secondary education at the Intermediate High School. In his early years he lived for a short time in Trinidad with his grandmother but something important to him made him a little unhappy. He summoned up the courage and told his grandmother he wanted to return home as no one could cook like his mother. After leaving school his first significant job was as a member of the St. Vincent Police Force as it was known then. He left the Force for greener pastures and joined National Bulk Carriers. For many years Vincent plied the high seas transporting fuel in the Middle East. He often spoke about his many and varied experiences in several countries he visited. When he had had enough tossing about on the waves he returned home and applied for a job at the East Caribbean Group of Companies. He has worked with this Company for 30 years as Security Officer and maintained cordial relations with management and Staff alike. Family, friends and co-workers all recall Vincent as a hard-working man who placed a lot of emphasis on his job. He spared no effort in getting to work promptly.
As we go through life we determine a number of favourite things to which we become attached. We recognize favourite friends, activities, events, seasons, cosmetics, foods and countless others. We all knew Vincent to be a modest person but there was one thing, one favourite thing about which he was anything but modest. Anita recalls with smiles Vincent’s favourite dish, “boileen with big fish” as he would put it. He liked to eat plenty of this dish. When he sees boileen it’s all smiles. Even if he is terribly upset about something and he sees his special food coming to the table he erupts in smiles and exclaims, "Boileen today 'bwoy' this is my food" and proceeds to polish it off! But that’s not all. After finishing it he says to Anita, with a smug smile, "Yuh have any more?" And if Anita gives the slightest nod, he says, "Man bring whatever you have, bring it on, bring it on!"
The natural modesty that was one of Vincent’s traits led to conservative habits. Not even on a Saturday when he went to market would he wear short pants into Town. When asked why, he would calmly say, "Yuh think I home?" Vincent typified that good ‘old school home training’; his shoes always well polished and shining, hair, regularly and neatly trimmed and never allowed to grow beyond a certain level.
It is not easy for anyone other than a spouse or sibling or immediate family member to know much about a quiet, peaceful, peace-loving, soft-spoken and modest person like Vincent. But Monty, as an impressionable younger brother who for good reason admired the elder, remembers certain characteristics about him. Vincent was a dresser. At the time when he was out sailing Monty used to look forward to his periodic visits back home and the lovely clothes and shoes he would bring back. Now they were both about the same size except that Vincent’s foot was a little bigger. The brothers here at home would inspect the shirts and proceed to wear any one they fancied and no matter how many and which ones, the quiet Vincent would not say a word! As for the shoes, the slippers were easier to handle because as Monty stepped forward the foot would slide forward while the other foot slipped backwards in the slipper itself. Even Kenneth can identify a shirt that was originally Vincent’s a long time ago. Monty also recalls that he was the one assigned to take Vincent’s meals to him at Police Headquarters when he was in the Force. (Explain). To quote Monty, "I have never seen him get angry to the point of frustration or becoming loud." He would simply go quiet and continue on that quiet path he always chose. He loved his music and took fullest advantage of his trips to get his Otis Redding and Percy Sledge records. He had a passion for motorbikes. Even though he crashed pretty often it never deterred him.
During his last days with ECGC he suffered an amputation of the right foot, in the area of the shin due to his diabetic condition but he bounced back to the extent that he was able to return to work on a part-time basis of three days per week up to the 19th of this month.
Vincent Leon Doyle’s life can be summed up as simply as he lived it; generous to a fault, helpful to all who sought his help and to many who didn’t, peace-loving, didn’t speak ill of anyone, a friend to many, some of whom referred to him as “the cool guy” or” Big D” and all of this without the thought of or expecting honour, praise or thanks. In short he epitomized the Biblical injunction, ”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” It is not surprising, therefore, that Vincent was a regular member of this Church and would have attended even more frequently in times of better health. He fell ill on Tuesday 20th September, was rushed to the hospital and died of cardiac failure shortly thereafter. He leaves to mourn their loss his dear wife Anita, brothers; Kenneth, Jefferson, Monty, Kendal and Elvis, sisters, Marilyn and Laurette, many other relatives and countless friends. Indeed, so many friends, that those whose names were not mentioned in the official announcement are asked to understand that they are no lesser friends and were not forgotten.
On behalf of the family I extend sincerest thanks to everyone for being here with us today and for the many ways in which you expressed your condolence on his passing. We are confident that he is safe in the arms of his maker Our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the many years I have known Vincent, particularly after he had begun to put on weight, I have always seen him as the gentle giant. Some would say, "the gentle, lovable giant". His wife, now his widow, his siblings and countless others describe him as genuine, honest, kind, most certainly free-handed and helpful. Anita sings his praises as a good helper in the home. He washed, he cooked, he cleaned the home. She believed that he believed he was the cleanest person on earth.
Vincent was born on the 21st January 1947 to Leon and Thelma Doyle of Edinboro. He received his secondary education at the Intermediate High School. In his early years he lived for a short time in Trinidad with his grandmother but something important to him made him a little unhappy. He summoned up the courage and told his grandmother he wanted to return home as no one could cook like his mother. After leaving school his first significant job was as a member of the St. Vincent Police Force as it was known then. He left the Force for greener pastures and joined National Bulk Carriers. For many years Vincent plied the high seas transporting fuel in the Middle East. He often spoke about his many and varied experiences in several countries he visited. When he had had enough tossing about on the waves he returned home and applied for a job at the East Caribbean Group of Companies. He has worked with this Company for 30 years as Security Officer and maintained cordial relations with management and Staff alike. Family, friends and co-workers all recall Vincent as a hard-working man who placed a lot of emphasis on his job. He spared no effort in getting to work promptly.
As we go through life we determine a number of favourite things to which we become attached. We recognize favourite friends, activities, events, seasons, cosmetics, foods and countless others. We all knew Vincent to be a modest person but there was one thing, one favourite thing about which he was anything but modest. Anita recalls with smiles Vincent’s favourite dish, “boileen with big fish” as he would put it. He liked to eat plenty of this dish. When he sees boileen it’s all smiles. Even if he is terribly upset about something and he sees his special food coming to the table he erupts in smiles and exclaims, "Boileen today 'bwoy' this is my food" and proceeds to polish it off! But that’s not all. After finishing it he says to Anita, with a smug smile, "Yuh have any more?" And if Anita gives the slightest nod, he says, "Man bring whatever you have, bring it on, bring it on!"
The natural modesty that was one of Vincent’s traits led to conservative habits. Not even on a Saturday when he went to market would he wear short pants into Town. When asked why, he would calmly say, "Yuh think I home?" Vincent typified that good ‘old school home training’; his shoes always well polished and shining, hair, regularly and neatly trimmed and never allowed to grow beyond a certain level.
It is not easy for anyone other than a spouse or sibling or immediate family member to know much about a quiet, peaceful, peace-loving, soft-spoken and modest person like Vincent. But Monty, as an impressionable younger brother who for good reason admired the elder, remembers certain characteristics about him. Vincent was a dresser. At the time when he was out sailing Monty used to look forward to his periodic visits back home and the lovely clothes and shoes he would bring back. Now they were both about the same size except that Vincent’s foot was a little bigger. The brothers here at home would inspect the shirts and proceed to wear any one they fancied and no matter how many and which ones, the quiet Vincent would not say a word! As for the shoes, the slippers were easier to handle because as Monty stepped forward the foot would slide forward while the other foot slipped backwards in the slipper itself. Even Kenneth can identify a shirt that was originally Vincent’s a long time ago. Monty also recalls that he was the one assigned to take Vincent’s meals to him at Police Headquarters when he was in the Force. (Explain). To quote Monty, "I have never seen him get angry to the point of frustration or becoming loud." He would simply go quiet and continue on that quiet path he always chose. He loved his music and took fullest advantage of his trips to get his Otis Redding and Percy Sledge records. He had a passion for motorbikes. Even though he crashed pretty often it never deterred him.
During his last days with ECGC he suffered an amputation of the right foot, in the area of the shin due to his diabetic condition but he bounced back to the extent that he was able to return to work on a part-time basis of three days per week up to the 19th of this month.
Vincent Leon Doyle’s life can be summed up as simply as he lived it; generous to a fault, helpful to all who sought his help and to many who didn’t, peace-loving, didn’t speak ill of anyone, a friend to many, some of whom referred to him as “the cool guy” or” Big D” and all of this without the thought of or expecting honour, praise or thanks. In short he epitomized the Biblical injunction, ”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!” It is not surprising, therefore, that Vincent was a regular member of this Church and would have attended even more frequently in times of better health. He fell ill on Tuesday 20th September, was rushed to the hospital and died of cardiac failure shortly thereafter. He leaves to mourn their loss his dear wife Anita, brothers; Kenneth, Jefferson, Monty, Kendal and Elvis, sisters, Marilyn and Laurette, many other relatives and countless friends. Indeed, so many friends, that those whose names were not mentioned in the official announcement are asked to understand that they are no lesser friends and were not forgotten.
On behalf of the family I extend sincerest thanks to everyone for being here with us today and for the many ways in which you expressed your condolence on his passing. We are confident that he is safe in the arms of his maker Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Homily | By Jimmy Bracken |
