Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

January 6, 2026

Charles Jerome (Jerry) Vincent died peacefully on January 6, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 1, 1928, the only child of John Vaughan Vincent and Helen Vincent (Smith). He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1950. Upon graduation, he worked briefly for Sylvania Corporation in Boston before being drafted. He served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War as a weapons instructor in Aberdeen, Maryland. After completing his service, he began employment in New York City with AT&T Bell Labs. Soon thereafter, a mutual friend introduced him to his beloved wife of 67 years, Anne Elizabeth Lunas. They were married on March 22, 1958, in Montclair, New Jersey.

After a short time working in New York City, Bell Labs offered Jerry a position in Columbus, Ohio. Having been raised in the Midwest, he jumped at the chance. Jerry and Anne lived there throughout his career at Bell Labs. Jerry was a born engineer, naturally curious about how things worked. Even outside of his job, he spent many hours in his downstairs workshop working on various electronics-related projects. He enjoyed household repairs and improvements, painstakingly working through them with attention to detail to ensure they were done properly. For example, in the days before Bluetooth, he wired his home so music could be played in various rooms from one main control area.

Jerry and Anne retired to Charlotte in 1996, wishing to live between his sons in the Atlanta and Washington, D.C., areas and Anne’s mother in Florida. In Charlotte, Jerry took on a second career of sorts in tax preparation. He began with H&R Block but later switched to volunteering with AARP’s free tax preparation service, where he found great satisfaction serving the community alongside his fellow volunteers. Jerry spent many years with AARP, eventually teaching new volunteers in addition to preparing taxes himself. He was honored as one of the area’s most accurate preparers.

In his retirement years, Jerry continued his love of home projects. He followed an annual rhythm—tax work in the winter into early spring, followed by a large outdoor project in the summer, and finishing the year with a major indoor project. For several summers, his outdoor project involved leveling his large backyard with dirt, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow. He also devoted more time to reading, especially books about science and finance. In particular, he was drawn to personal finance and took pride in maintaining meticulous records of his investments and spending.

Jerry was deeply devoted to Anne throughout their marriage. He always put her first—her happiness made him happy. He considered providing for her and their family his top priority and viewed their relationship as a true partnership. In recent years, he took on additional responsibilities, assisting Anne throughout the day, including managing medications and preparing meals.

Jerry was also devoted to his extended family, visiting and hosting relatives for holidays and other gatherings. Naturally quiet and somewhat reserved, he showed a more outgoing side with his grandchildren, getting down on the floor to play with them when they were young. He took great interest in their milestones and supported them, both financially and otherwise, throughout their journeys.

Jerry was a lifelong churchgoer and most recently was a member of Matthews Presbyterian Church. Previously, he attended Church of the Redeemer United Methodist Church and Brookwood Presbyterian Church in Columbus, Ohio.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife, Anne; his children, James, Andrew (wife Carol Hardy Vincent), and Robert (wife Ava Vincent); and his five cherished grandchildren, Alexandra, Christine, Christopher, Katelyn, and Zachary.

A funeral service to celebrate Jerry’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026, with visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m., at Matthews Presbyterian Church, 207 W. John Street, Matthews, NC 28105. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204, (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.