Carol Kathleen "Penny" Vincent

Carol Kathleen “Penny” Vincent was the perfect wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and teacher. She left this world after a courageous and tenacious battle against cancer on April 7, 2022 at 82 ( though, she would also say she was perpetually 29… for 53 years and counting ).

She was born to Claude and Mabel Hutchison on September 23, 1939. From birth, and throughout her entire life, she accomplished the most amazing things, most of which many simply dream to achieve.  As soon as she was able, she began chasing her dreams of becoming a Teacher. But before becoming the spectacular teacher she was always meant to be, she met not only her husband, father of their children, and her best friend, but also her soul mate, James “Jim” Vincent. Together, they had and raised Deborah Sue “Debbie,” Candice “Candi,” Elizabeth “Buffy,” Robert-Jaymes “Robbie,” Charles “Bo,” Patricia “Patti,” Mathew “Mat,” Marc-Claude “Marcypoo,” Sylvia “Silver,” “Jayme,” and Nikole, all of whom were the light of her life, and purpose.

She was always proud of each one of her kids and their accomplishments, while always being their constant source of encouragement. She was proud that Debbie found her passion in life; proud of how Candi was connected to performing arts like no other, along with her husband Burt in his long career in the Air Force and in Healthcare IT; was proud of her youngest daughter Buffy and how she inherited her survival traits with the ability to land on her feet, along with her gift with numbers, and who was always there to help, especially when she became sick; was proud of Robbie in his aspirations and success in business as a commissioned notary, along with his husband Richard ; was proud and loved Bo , and was so happy for him when he met and married his wife Evelyn ; was proud of Patti in her flawless ability to draw and her glass-ceiling-shattering career in the mortgage industry along with her husband Jim in his success in the mortgage industry and his loyalty and ability to make her daughter happier than she had ever seen her, thus confirming that both had met their “ Perfect Jims ” as their soulmates; Silver’s career in aerospace and her beautiful sewing & quilting craftsmanship along with her life-partner Dale , whom she affectionately called “Number 2,” and trusted completely; was proud of who Jayme had become, and his career in law and business advisory, along with his wife Tiffany, who was her twin in so many ways and couldn’t be prouder in her career of banking and HOA management, as well as Nikole’s sharp intelligence, strength in her independence, and fierce loyalty to her family.

She was known as one of two names: “Penny” and “Nana” to all who knew and loved her. Highly educated both through academics and life experiences, there was nothing that Penny could not do. After mastering the impossible task of becoming the perfect mother, she joined the Long Beach Unified School District, where she worked for over three decades, all of them at U.S. Grant Elementary School. It is there that she met her closest friend, Connie Potter, as well as her friends, Liz, Mary Ann, Ruda, Theresa, Cheryl, Alice, Wynona, Jody, Suzie, Jack, Jack & Dave J., Dave D., and so many others whom she held in the best light and highest regard.

Penny’s pride was in everything she did, but she was especially proud of her work during her illustrious career spanning across several decades with the Long Beach Unified School District, all of those years at U.S. Grant Elementary School, where she shared her passion for teaching and learning with tens of thousands of children. Penny believed that if you find your calling and do what you love to do, you will never work a day in your life, and true to her word, she never “worked” at Grant because she loved every second or every day at Grant, alongside everyone who she always looked at and considered family, all of whom she loved very much.

She especially loved being a Grandmother to Seth, Shem, Mathew, Marc, Javale, Kaheal, Hailey, and Sophia. In fact, many of the simplest, and yet most gratifying pleasures and greatest joy brought to her were from those who called her “Nana.” She treasured and embraced every moment with them. From baking an impossible to find Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cake for Seth , ensuring “Santa” delivered Sega CD for Shem , watching Mathew change before her eyes, growing into the great man that he would and has become as well as seeing how incredibly happy he was after meeting and becoming engaged to his soulmate, Hannah , hearing how great Marc-Claude was doing in college after getting straight A’s, and his continuing advancement in the entertainment scenic design production & stagehand profession; getting biggest surprise from Javale when walking in her door in a surprise trip to California for his Nana, providing the best and most encouraging advice to Kaheal , along with always making sure there was cheese pizza for Hailey on Fridays, to allowing the youngest of them all, her namesake Sophia Kathleen , (a/k/a by Nana as “Katie-did” like “Katie did it”), to run the household, while watching her dance, make TikToks, and do summersaults, cartwheels, and other moves “Phia” would show her and her Papa that she learned at her gymnastics class, and soon thereafter, her little Phia would run up and give her and Papa “Ice Cream Hugs.” She was always so proud of her Grandchildren, and would tell anyone she spoke to how she was both blessed and happy to see the amazing people that her Grandchildren would become. No matter what, she always made sure that her grandchildren were the happiest they could be!

Her pleasant personality was contagious to everyone she met, and the warmth offered to everyone that walked in her front door, where they knew that they were safe, loved, and well taken care of – no matter what their history, or circumstances were.

Penny is survived by her husband, Jim; Multiple children, Candi & her husband Burt, Buffy, Robbie and his husband Richard, Bo and his wife Evelyn, Patti and her husband Jim, as well as Jayme and his wife Tiffany, Nikole, Sylvia and her life-partner Dale; Grandchildren, Mathew, Mark, Shem, Kaheal, Hailey, Javale, and Sophia; a Brother, Leonard “Lenny” and his life-partner, Lynn; Nieces, Nephews, and Cousins, including Jennifer and her daughter Willow Rayne, Kathy, Pam, Eunice; Extended family, Deborah “Ms. Jackson,” and many other nieces, nephews, cousins, and an infinite amount of friends and other loved ones.

Penny and Nana is truly one-of-a-kind, who can never be replaced. She touched the lives of anyone who had the privilege and honor of meeting her and will be sorely missed by so many.

Services will be held by Luyben Dilday Mortuary on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 10:30 a.m., at 5161 E Arbor Rd, Long Beach, CA 90808, and Burial Service at Riverside National Cemetery - March Air Reserve Base, where she will be laid to rest, at 22495 Van Buren Blvd, March Air Reserve Base, CA 92518.