Virgil Richard Vincent, age 81, of Conrad, MT died July 14, 2009 at his home in Conrad, Mt following a brief battle with cancer. At his request, no services are planned and cremation has taken place under the direction of Gorder Funeral Home of Choteau.
Virgil was born in Cranesville, PA on June 27, 1928 and moved, with his parents and siblings to Detroit, MI in 1939. He completed high school in 1946 and worked at various automotive jobs until serving in the US Army in 1950. He served in Germany and was honorably discharged in 1957.
He was happily married to Eleanor M. Halpin in Sylvania, OH. He moved with family, wife, daughter, Julia and step-daughter, Terri to Brownsville, TX in 1959 where daughter, Susan was born. He resided in Texas, working as a welder and aircraft hydraulic mechanic until moving to Phoenix, AZ In 1963, he placer gold mined with his wife and daughters on Lynx Creek, AZ from 1964 to 1970. He worked for the U.S. Postal service in Phoenix during this time. He also appeared in films as a bit player in the late 1960s and later in Canada in the 1980s.
Virgil moved with family to Canada in 1970 to work an 80 acre mining lease on Canadian Creek near Wells, B.C. He was employed with the B.C. Provincial government as a Park Ranger and Peace Office in 1971. He retired in 1988 and moved to Conrad, MT in 1997.
Virgil was a life-member of the VFW and also a long-time member of the American Legion. He was a life-member of the NRA since 2008 and enjoyed collecting antiques and manufactured Native American culture items.
He is survived by his wife, Eleanor Mae Vincent of Conrad; daughters: Julia (Michael) Price of Saskatoon, Sask. Canada; Susan (Ronald) Robertson of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and Terri Brown of Apache
Junction, AZ; sister: Margaret Carlson of Mesa, AZ; grandchildren: David, Michelle, Vanessa, Matthew, Jason and Jessica; 11 great grandchildren: and one great-great grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his mother in 1968, his father in 1984 and a brother Charles in 2006.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Peace Hospice of Montana.
Online condolences may be left at www.gorderfuneralhome.com