Vince was the kind of person who immediately lit up any room he walked into. From the very moment you spoke with him, he made you feel like family. I can say that wholeheartedly by my own experiences with him – I met him through Nadia and immediately had a connection like we’ve been friends for years. We initially bonded on our mutual nerdy love of fantasy series and books. When a new episode of Game of Thrones would come out, we would begin having our talks about where characters are going and what theories we had on where the story would go. These are the kinds of talks I will miss the most – even though Vince and I didn’t get a chance to talk often, when we did it was always thought-provoking, deep and just plain fun.
As we got a little older, our conversations shifted more towards our families and what we were building. He would ask me how it was raising my kids and what advice I could give him. I told him that a lot of it comes from instincts and you learn as you go, but I knew by his questions alone that he was going to be an amazing father. After his children were born, I could see firsthand from his interactions that his kids were everything to him. He would light up telling me things about his family and what it was like watching his kids grow.
As you hear more and more stories come out about Vince, they all speak to just how amazing his character was. He was a literal force of kindness that impacted everyone he interacted with. When speaking to him, you could tell he actually listened and thought about your words and perspective on topics. He would often go out of his way to make sure you felt included, heard and respected.
Although my conversations with Vince were regrettably too few, I am forever blessed by having the chance to know him. My heart aches for his family, but if his children carry even an ounce of the kindness, then I know his light will continue to shine.
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