Garland J. Vincent

Garland Julius Vincent was born to Jessie and Viola Vincent on October 20, 1941 in Southampton, Virginia.  He was the baby of 12 children.  Garland moved to Washington, DC when he was three years old.   He told everyone he was a native Washingtonian.  He did indeed know the city very well.  Garland matriculated through DC public schools and was always ambitious and resourceful.  He often expressed how his family sometimes had very little to eat, so he decided he would get a job at a grocery store where he could get rewarded free or discounted food. (You figure that out!)  He began working at Calvert Market as a delivery man and worked his way up to the Lead Inventory Manager and Buyer.  Garland was also very caring and always had compassion for others.  One day while delivering groceries on his bicycle, Garland encountered a robbery.  He saw a young man snatch a woman’s purse, immediately chased that young man on his bicycle and recovered that woman’s purse.  He was a hero!

When Calvert Market closed, Garland easily secured a position with the Safeway Grocery Store.  After leaving Safeway, due to medical issues, Garland, also known as Blind, became a proprietor by starting a mobile grocery store. Later the store elevated to a building and he and his best friend, Leonard Williams also known as Buzz, became owners of the variety store on the corner of Kenilworth Avenue, NE, Washington, DC. Later Garland secured a position with the Washington Hospital Center where he worked arduously, consistently and faithfully for 20 years.  To this day everyone in the Washington Hospital Center knows who Mr. “V” was.

Garland loved, loved, loved to dance.  He consistently and consecutively won the dance contest on the Milt Grant Show.  He was a smooth operator.  He was also a die-hard Redskins fan.  He had 4 season tickets for over twenty years and leaves that legacy in the care of his grandsons, Vincent, Cortez and Victor.

Garland also had a giving and compassionate heart.  He loved assisting the elderly and the people in his community.  When he retired he paid a monthly fee so that he could procure bread and baked goods to deliver to everyone he thought had a need.  His children often said you would never visit daddy and leave empty handed…. He was going to give you something.

Garland Julius Vincent was the husband of Edna M. Vincent who he married at the age of 19 years old.  He was an excellent provider.  Edna never wanted for anything.  All she had to do was say I want and it would appear.  He made sure he took care of all the bills and needs of the household so that she could freely have three exotic vacations yearly.  Garland was also a dynamic, devoted, caring and compassionate father and grandfather.  Garland seeded three daughters, Phyllis, Cassandra and Tamara, but he fathered many, many, many children, including Carolyn, Brenda, Albert , Pam and Troy, just to name a few.  He was indeed a father to the fatherless!  His motivation for being a great father came from his father not being a good father to him.  He was driven to ensure that anyone he cared about without a father would feel the love, care and words of wisdom of a father figure.

Garland leaves to cherish his memory, his ex-wife Edna M. Vincent, daughters, Phyllis Bell (Wayne); Cassandra Winston, Tamara Soumah (Ouseman); brother Earl Vincent (Willien); two sisters Lorraine Williams and Louise Timmons; five grandchildren, Tyesha Winston (fiance Antwan Johnson); Vincent Bell; Victor Bell (Keyona); Cortez Winston (Veronica); Cordero Tann; five great granddaughters, two great grandsons, and one surprise grandbaby on the way; three Sister-in-laws Edith Barnes, Regina Conner and Carolyn Oglesby; his closest friends Leonard Williams (Buzz), Bill Alston, Harold  Harris (Jr), Charles Whitaker (Steve),  Stanley Jackson, Samuel Carpenter (Tank) cousin and dear friend; along with a host of nephews, nieces and friends.