Howard Herman Vincent of Oklahoma City, age 81, passed away on February 3, 2020, following a struggle with Parkinson’s. He will always be remembered fondly as a man full of strength, intelligence, humor and vitality. Born in Enid, Oklahoma on June 16, 1938, to Herman and Dorothy Vincent, Howard’s early years were spent engaging in the typical toils of a farm kid and enjoying the raucous good times of growing up in a family with three brothers and two sisters. Howard’s early years blessed him with an abundance of fantastically great and funny stories, which he freely shared with friends and family in the decades to come. He was active in FFA, livestock judging and exhibition as well as football and other sports. After graduation from Jet High School in 1956, Howard attended and graduated from Oklahoma State University (1960) with a degree in Animal Husbandry. At OSU, he met and married Kay Dillman (1959). Later, he obtained a Masters Degree in Public Health Administration from the University of Oklahoma. He also fulfilled all coursework for his PhD, but career opportunities redirected him before he completed his dissertation. Howard and Kay raised three children, Scott (Kama), Gina (Robb), and Eric (Leslie). Howard spent his career improving access to and quality of healthcare for residents of Oklahoma, in various private and public agencies, clinics and hospitals, most notably as Executive Director of the Oklahoma Health Systems Agency. He pioneered the introduction of telemedicine in Oklahoma, as well as hospice care and other healthcare systems.
Howard and Kay raised their kids on a cattle ranch in Earlsboro, Oklahoma where he shared his love for and knowledge of breeding, raising and showing prize-winning club steers and heifers, as well as endless hours on tractors, combines and bucking heavy bales of hay! He was a great father -- the rare kind who instilled discipline and strong work ethic in his kids, while balancing that work with plenty of play.
Howard and Kay divorced in 1985, and he moved to Oklahoma City where he continued working, as well as ranching. While in Oklahoma City, he became involved with The Registry and The Alliance, where he made many friends, including Barbara Johnston. Howard and Barbara were married in 2007. They had many happy years together full of travel and companionship, until her untimely death in 2011. Shortly after Barbara’s death, Howard’s health began to deteriorate, and he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Howard was a master of all card games, and loved hosting poker nights. It was a rare thing to beat him! Howard was skilled on the dance floor, and he could execute a perfect jackknife off of any diving board. He could perform a handstand and walk for many yards upside down, t the amazement of all watching. He was equally at ease commanding a boardroom at work, or in service to his community as a school board member. A master at public speaking, Howard never forgot names, and always remembered jokes, executing them with perfect timing.
Howard was a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He is predeceased by his parents; Kay and Barbara; and his brothers, Bill, Merle and Charles. He is survived by his sisters, Sally and Linda, his 3 children, 7 grandchildren (Michael, Andrew, Kyle, Molly, MacArthur, Erik and Alexander), and 2 great-granddaughters (Evelyn and Harper), as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express our gratitude to Oklahoma Palliative and Hospice Care and Dorset Place Memory Care. We invite all friends and family to celebrate the life of this remarkable man by joining us at his graveside service on February 25, 2020, at 11 a.m. at Pleasant View Cemetery in Jet, Oklahoma. The graveside service will be followed by a luncheon at the Jet Community Center. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Oklahoma Palliative and Hospice Care, 8241 S. Walker Ave., Ste. 204, Oklahoma City, OK 73139.
