BELMONT – Michael A. Vincent, 74, also known as "Mike, the Bus Driver", passed peacefully at home on March 26, 2018, with his wife by his side after a valiant, courageous battle against pancreatic cancer.
Born in Sanford, FL a son of Walter and Thelma (Poulin) Vincent, he attended school in Kodiak, AK, and San Diego, CA, and was a graduate of Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, MD.
Mike enlisted in the US Army in 1962 and, after his honorable discharge in 1965, became a commissioned clothing salesman for the Hecht Company in the Washington, DC area. Subsequently, he worked for the USPS until 1977 in Silver Spring, MD and then relocated to Anchorage, AK for a short time. In 1978 he returned to Springvale, ME, where his parents resided and where he was introduced to Sue, the love of his life. At the urging of friends they moved to Belmont in 1984, with a plan to live in NH for two years. During this time it was serendipitous that a rainbow touched down in their backyard which they took as a sign that they stay put in Belmont. This is where he found his true calling as a school bus driver for the Shaker Regional School District working for Lakes Region Transit, Bruce Transportation Group and First Student. He was actively involved in the unionization of the First Student district in the early 2000s. For 28 years he drove Bus 2 transporting up to two generations of students from K-12. He made it a point to learn each student’s name so he could personally wish them good morning and goodnight. He truly enjoyed field trips and enthusiastically supported the Belmont High School girls’ volleyball and basketball teams.
He enjoyed cross-country skiing, canoeing and hiking in the mountains of New England especially Acadia National Park. He was an avid gardener starting most plants from seed; and when he wasn’t busy gardening, he was on his motorcycle with Sue. He loved the ocean and most particularly enjoyed camping along the coast of Maine. Although he spelled phonetically, he became a formidable Scrabble player using the honor system to look up the correct spelling in the dictionary. He became interested in paleontology in the 70’s and took advantage of fossil hunting whenever the opportunity presented itself – the Calvert Cliffs in MD, Joggins Fossil Cliffs and Prince Mine in NS and Warfield Fossils in MT. Nothing could surpass his love of a good campfire in the backyard with good friends with the exception of adding fireworks to the mix!
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his son, Michael Vincent Jr. in 1995. He is survived by his best friend and wife for 40 years, Susan, a daughter, Deborah Krick and her husband, Robert, of Pasadena, MD and two grandchildren, Jack and Maggi. He leaves two sisters, Dr. Miriam Vincent of Boston, MA and Margaret McLaughlin and her husband, Patrick, of North Berwick, ME and one brother, Robert Vincent and his wife, Elaine, of Ocala, FL. He is survived by many nieces and nephews.
Calling hours will be held from 4:30 – 7:30 on Thursday, April 5, at the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, using the Carriage House entrance.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, April 6, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at Saint Joseph Parish,96 Main Street, Belmont with a celebration of his life to follow at the Beane Conference Center, 35 Blueberry Lane, Laconia.
If so inclined in lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, c/o Dartmouth Hitchcock Development Office, One Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH 03756-0001 or the St. Labre Indian School, Ashland, MT 59004 or online at www.stlabre.org – Ways to Give.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is assisting the family with the arrangements.