Pat "Junior" DeVincent

Pat "Junior" DeVincent, 88, passed away on May 20, 2021, in Tucson, AZ. Born on March 14, 1933, in Youngstown, OH,
Our dad was such a beautiful person and the greatest father. His kind heart was full of love and joy - he had God's love in every part of his being. He was so special. He was the son of Italian immigrants, the first one in his family to go to college on the GI bill after he was drafted into the Korean War and served as a radio operator when he was a young man. He wasn't sure how he'd do in college when he returned but he worked hard and excelled and earned a degree in engineering from Youngstown State University. He went on to have an incredible career with General Motors Inland Division in Dayton, OH working across many groups there throughout his career including harm reduction and safety, seat belts and airbags with many patents issued in his name- he was so talented. He was also a natural gifted athlete winning awards for his handball prowess and remained dedicated in his life to staying fit and healthy - he was so smart and ahead of his time. He played basketball in high school and even tried his hand at boxing – he won the only match he played and always said he retired from boxing undefeated which always made us laugh since he only ever had one match. He had a great sense of humor. After working a long week dad would take us six kids to the Dayton YMCA where we would play in the gym while he played handball with a colleague and then would take us swimming after. Sometimes we would watch him play handball and could be shocked when our kind polite dad would be yelling up a storm during an intense handball match. He was an amazing competitor and it's wonderful he got to continue that throughout his life. He also found great joy in heated matches of Gin Rummy with his eldest daughter Mary. Their hard fought battles were great fun. In the summer Dad would take us kids to the Drive-In for some great Clint Eastwood movies and others for an economical pay by the carload form of entertainment. We have so many happy memories of the million things he did for us to make us feel special and know we were loved. The greatest gift our father gave us was loving us unconditionally. We knew he would always love us no matter what. He had the patience of a saint and made endless sacrifices to give us a wonderful life. He was our provider and our rock creating a safe stable base for us to thrive and grow. Dad was also so appreciative of his life - ever thankful. He had many mantras including the saying "we've had such a good life" which was his way of expressing sincere joy and wonderment at the incredible blessings in his life and his primary mantra that he exclaimed every day without fail "Every Day is a Blessing". When he said it- he truly meant it. He knew what a gift life is and to share it with others and be part of something greater than ourselves. He had such a joyful heart and we are so thankful he was surrounded by love all his life. His family didn't have a lot when he was growing up but they all loved each other and accepted one another - they had great fun teasing each other too. Another one of dad's sayings was "It's a long way from 631 Erie Street" where he grew up in Youngstown, OH. That house and that time was very special because it gave him all of his stability and security at the beginning of his life. It was a shame when the city took the house and others on the street to build a bypass many years ago. The place always meant a lot to him. Some of our greatest memories growing up as kids was going back to Youngstown for visits with our relatives and having dad's mom, our Grandma Celeste make us all kinds of delicious food we continue to dream about to this day- her pasta and meatballs, homemade bread, pizza, donuts, cookies and apple dumplings! You could feel her love in every bite and our wonderful Uncle Mike who lived with Grandma and helped her with everything- we all owe him a debt of thanks for all he did for Grandma and the rest of us too. Dad was blessed to be surrounded by the love of his mother, his father and his brothers and sisters all of his life – they were all so important to him. It is comforting to know he is reunited with them again in heaven. We can only imagine the incredible joy in the reunion. Dad was so dedicated and hard driven with his work at Inland and a big part of that was how much he and his colleagues cared for one another. There was a special bond among them. It was wonderful dad was able to take early retirement from GM when he was only 55 and move to Florida with a house on Fort Myers Beach, a small island in SW Florida. Dad built a wonderful little swimming pool and the house was on a canal that led out to the huge Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve where dad got a little jon boat and learned how to jig fish from his neighbor's son-in-law from across the canal. Thus began a love affair with dad and fishing. After years of hard work in his career it was wonderful for dad to experience a less stressful existence and healthier life style in Fort Myers, a place he always referred to as "paradise". Dad had a remarkable retirement there meeting many wonderful people who loved and appreciated him, neighbors up and down his street and across the canal, and other boaters. He loved it when his kids, grandkids, his brothers and sisters and their families and good friends from all over would come down to visit him in Florida- he would take them out fishing and enjoy their company. One of the biggest joys of having the Florida house was being able to share it with everyone. Dad also played a key role in a huge long time effort of Fort Myers Beach successfully incorporating and another incredible effort in creating "Dog Beach" a beloved off leash dog park for thousands of dog lovers. Dad was selfless in working for others and the greater good his entire life. He was also part of an incredible men's group on the beach for over 20 years that was an extraordinary fellowship of support and love we are so glad he had in his life. The love dad gave and received over the years was limitless and just seemed to expand throughout his life. He always held a special love for his family- his beautiful mother and father, his brothers and sisters and their families, his children and their families. That same unconditional love dad showed us he also had for his grandchildren and great grandchildren and all of his great grandchildren yet to be born. I know he is always with us watching over all of us and continuing to love us. There is a special place in heaven for him- he gave so much of himself to others his entire life. We miss you dad and forever love you- we will always carry you in our hearts.
Dad's 5 surviving children are: Mary Turner (Arizona), Marc (Teri) DeVincent (North Carolina), Sabina (Mark) Shaneyfelt (Ohio), Valerie (Jeff) Kemmer (Washington) and David (Ohio).
Dad was preceded in death by one child, Andrew; three sisters, Emma, Mary & Rosie; and four brothers, Vincent, Michael and Charles.