"There are no words to describe the sadness we feel or how much he will be missed. Our hearts are broken, and life will never be quite the same. Rest peacefully Vinnie, you will always be loved, always be missed, and never be forgotten"
- A celebration of Vinnie's life will be held in Hope and Sons Chapel, 523 Andersons Bay Road at 2pm on Tuesday October 20, followed by private cremation. Messages to 1 St James Place Fairfield 9018
Service details
The service was held on 20 Oct 2026.
Messages
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The MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre Inc wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Vince. We were saddened to hear about the passing of a great man who was a stalwart of our club, although he is no longer a member his legacy and name will remain an ever guiding presence
The MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre Inc wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Vince. We were saddened to hear about the passing of a great man who was a stalwart of our club, although he is no longer a member his legacy and name will remain an ever guiding presence
The MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre Inc wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Vince. We were saddened to hear about the passing of a great man who was a stalwart of our club, although he is no longer a member his legacy and name will remain an ever guiding presence
The MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre Inc wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Vince. We were saddened to hear about the passing of a great man who was a stalwart of our club, although he is no longer a member his legacy and name will remain an ever guiding presence
The MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre Inc wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Vince. We were saddened to hear about the passing of a great man who was a stalwart of our club, although he is no longer a member his legacy and name will remain an ever guiding presence
The MG Car Club Otago Southland Centre Inc wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of Vince. We were saddened to hear about the passing of a great man who was a stalwart of our club, although he is no longer a member his legacy and name will remain an ever guiding presence
Today,we farewelled one of the nicest & most generous of gentlemen I have ever had the pleasure to know in my lifetime.From when we first met in 2012,when as a salesman at Gilmour Motors,Vince convinced me to purchase a wee white manual Suzuki Swift Sport that back then I rated the best car that I had ever driven.Fast forward nine years when I was looking at updating to a 2020 Suzuki Swift Sport but it was an automatic transmission,Vince convinced me again that manual cars were being phased out & automatic cars were the future, but seeing my apprehension he kindly offered to meet me at Gilmour Motors when I finished work to take the Suzuki Swift Sport out for a test drive & I was smitten.Five years later I still have my wee yellow Suzuki Swift Sport Auto,thanks to Vince. Our time together at the North Dunedin Community Patrol,where Vince was the Chair & I was the Co-ordinator shall live with me forever.Phone calls or texts either began with 'Are you free to talk,Gazza or 'Nothing urgent,Gazza but when you are free please call me'!I always looked forward to Vince ringing me on a Sunday morning after he had patrolled the night before, to give me a run down on what had occurred.I shall miss the phone not ringing anymore or hearing Vince's voice ever again. Vince,you were always able to make me laugh with your social network comments, like when I was in Clyde recently & you advised me to 'forget your diabetes & get totally s**t faced tonight whilst reminding me that gin on its own has no sugar'!Classic Vinnie.Rest assured I will put up a toast to you in the coming days for how you managed to keep me smiling every day, My thoughts tonight are with Tina,Serena,Belinda & Gregor,Josh & Mel & the grandchildren that Vince was extremely proud of,Thomas,Lulu,Leo,Ruby & Sam,who showed today how much love they had for their 'Gigga'! Vince(Vinnie)you are missed so much beyond words that I can say.Rest in peace my friend
Vinnie….my beloved father in law. And always my friend for the best part of 30 years. You made a home for me. And sold a couple of half-decent cars! And made me feel at home. From the first time you fetched me a Speights from the fridge, to the second time - get it yourself, you’re family now! You always made me welcome. Hell you always made everyone welcome, such was your warmth. Or opportunity to tell a story. Or throw a party. Or just have a quiet ( ish) gin or two. And for the last, 7 years, despite the 12,000 distance they lay between us, we played scrabble everyday . Our way of keeping in touch . And the odd chat. Or text - usually hey mate, the AB are playing right now.. You’ve left a hole in all our lives. I already miss our games. So thoughts with Tina, Serena, Belinda and Josh. And all you wonderful family, Ali & Steve, Paul, Mike& Karen and the rest, of whom I have a so, so many happy memories. Look after yourselves now he’s gone to the great gin factory in the sky. Andy.
You couldn't have met a nicer gentleman than Vinnie. He was highly respected, extremely good at what he did, and someone whose knowledge and opinion in the motor industry were always valued. I'm sure Josh has inherited many of Vinnie's magnificent qualities and carries them with him every day. Vinnie's friendly nature, genuine character and willingness to help others will always be remembered. We were all proud to know Vinnie and be associated with him, and never hesitated to tell others that. He earned enormous respect throughout the motor industry, and his dedication to serving the community through Community Patrol was another example of the wonderful person he was. A true gentleman who will be sadly missed by many. Rest in peace, Vinnie. It was a privilege to have known you. Marc & Gayaleen Mitchell
Dear Tina and family, I was shocked and saddened to learn of Vince’s passing so suddenly. Vince was a great mate over many years and I will miss him and our regular lunch dates. As we are in Australia at the moment Denise and I will live stream the service.
The world has lost a loving, generous man who always had a smile for everyone. I am especially grateful I was able to spend some quality time with you on my recent visit. I will hold those memories of you close. You were like a brother. Sadly missed. Love to all the family.
I have such fond memories of Vinny, going right back to when he was my first boss as I began my career in the motor trade at Southern Motor Court during the Subaru and Peugeot days. We always had a good laugh together. He was a great joke teller who knew how to make me laugh, and I loved making him laugh too. It was wonderful to work with him again later on at Honda, and even after he retired, it was always lovely to bump into him and have a catch-up. He was a genuinely good bloke with a great sense of humour, and I’ll always remember the laughs we shared. My heartfelt thoughts are with Tina and the family at this very sad time. Thank you for the laughs and the memories, Vinny. You’ll be fondly remembered.