Obituary

On Monday, October 20, 2025, Elizabeth Anne Daughtry Bailey Vincent, 70, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends after battling liver disease and cancer for many years. She was the most generous, loving, and sacrificial person one would ever have the pleasure of meeting and will be deeply missed by all. I also know she would not rest easy without me acknowledging the people who poured grace into her life and demonstrated the love she came to pass on to others.

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Elizabeth was born to Bonnie Daughtry on December 11, 1954, who passed away two years later, leaving Elizabeth to be raised by her grandmother Sarah Esther Tomlinson Holton (“Grammy”) in Jacksonville, Florida. Having no siblings, Elizabeth developed strong bonds with her Aunts Hazel Gowers (mother of Charles Gowers), Annetta Margain (mother of Paula, Pat, Craig, and Chris Margain), and Uncle Wilbur Holton (father of Benny, Donna, Patrick, Sarah, and Mark Holton) and her many cousins. Benny and Donna were particularly bonded with her as if they were siblings, and Donna (her “Cousin-Sister-Friend”) was with her when she passed.

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Grammy was assisted in raising Elizabeth by her brother Anson, a Seventh Day Adventist pastor, who was often credited for most of the joy in her childhood. Never having children of his own, he loved and led Elizabeth with dignity and was most influential in her life and spiritual journey. He modeled what it looked like to live Christ’s example, lived in poverty giving all he had to others, worked for the community as a teacher and librarian, and ignored Jim Crow laws to live as God, not man, commanded. He walked with Elizabeth as they went to his church, helped her process grief over the loss of her parents, and taught her emotional intelligence. When she was not attending her Uncle Anson’s church, she would attend church with her childhood best friend and second family, the McAbees. Susie McAbee and her sister Wanda attended school with Elizabeth and the three remained close friends until her passing.

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Elizabeth was a graduate of Paxon High School class of 1972. She would later reminisce about her time in orchestra as first chair violin under Mr. Papenbrock. Music was as natural in her life as breathing, and often was the way she processed emotions. She was awarded a full ride scholarship to Stetson College for violin, but was prevented from accepting, which devastated her. Discouraged, she stayed in Jacksonville to work and assist her grandmother. While working at Skinner’s Dairy, she met Paul Kelly Bailey, and they soon married. In 1978 she had her first daughter, Kelly Bailey, who was a great comfort, joy, and source of mischief to our mother. Kelly has never stopped moving, creating, pushing boundaries, or making our parents proud.

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After seven years of marriage, Elizabeth divorced and raised Kelly as a single mother while working full time and earning A.S. Degrees in Early Childhood Development and eventually Early Childhood Education through FSCJ. She was greatly supported by her Aunt Hazel Gowers at this time and credits her for buying her clothing, furniture, and food, and for helping watch Kelly. While in college, Liz became friends, Mary Kathleen Vincent, a classmate who adopted her into the Vincent clan and invited Liz to attend church with her family at Wingate Road Baptist Church led by Reverend Louis Kennison. Mary Kathleen had three younger siblings- Patty Lynn Vincent, Walter “Lee” Vincent, and John “Chris” Vincent. After orbiting one another for a few years, and receiving encouragement from Pastor Kennison, Elizabeth accepted an invitation to attend a dance with Lee Vincent on her birthday. His sisters watched Kelly, and he showed up with roses saying he never intended to lose her from that point onward, and he never did. He loved Kelly as his own daughter in every way he could from the very first day he met her. Lee demonstrated his love and support to Liz every day for the rest of their life, letting his actions and devotion speak volumes over his quiet demeanor… which was an excellent complement to Liz’s insurmountable verbosity.

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Lee and Liz Vincent were married at Wingate Road Baptist Church by Reverend Louis Kennison in the summer of 1982. They settled on the northside of Jacksonville and had Lisa Vincent in 1985. Lisa brought so much music, wonder, and made us all infinitely more invested with our collective love of reading. Together they balanced caretaking elders, parenting, church involvement, school involvement, community volunteer work, and working overtime at both of their jobs. Elizabeth began working for DCPS at First Coast High School soon after it opened, then Highlands Middle School, Lackawanna Alternative School, Grand Park Alternative School, and finally retired from Joseph Stilwell Middle School after 30yrs. During this time, she served as dean’s secretary, librarian, and ESE paraprofessional, was awarded employee-of-the-year multiple times and was a blessing and lifeline in the lives of thousands of students. Throughout it all, Elizabeth never abandoned the lifestyle of sacrifice, dedication, and community education exhibited to her by her Uncle Anson.

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After already having been the most pampering and coddling grandmother to several “granddogs,” Elizabeth became a doting ‘Mimi’ to Ethan Vincent-Wallace in 2017 and spent nearly every day of his life indulging him to a ridiculous degree (as is the prerogative of any grandmother). His exceptional curiosity, understanding of the world around him, and love of reading and nature was fostered in large part due to his Mimi’s curation of experiences throughout his life. Our mother never stopped learning, growing, or spoiling everyone who knew her rotten until she quite literally could not any longer. We are still getting gifts she bought in advance delivered to our home after her passing, which is absolutely no surprise to anyone. She is survived by her husband of 43 years Lee Vincent, daughters Kelly Bailey (Matthew Frake) and Lisa Vincent, and her grandson Ethan Vincent-Wallace. She is also survived by close friends and extensive honorary family including Brenda Durham; Megan, Hailey, and James Kammerer; and Anna and Rosie Schreiner.

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It is our family’s wish that the world be blessed with many more people with a gracious, benevolent spirit like hers.

In celebration of our Giving Tree of a mother, and given that this organisation was very near to her heart. Please donate in her honour to Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen if you are able.

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World Central Kitchen​