'lbe Celebration oflife for
G/)lmmf GYYlau!tim "c9hm" ~
cJunrise:January 11, 1954 cJunset:July 1, 2016
~onday, July 11, 2016 I I 1:oopm
The House of Hope Atlanta (The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church) 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway // Decatur, Georgia 30034
Dr. E. Dewey Smith Jr. , Senior Pastor I Teacher

(9bituary
On January 11, 1954, Vincent Maurice " Tree " Latimer was born in Atlanta, Georgia to the late Edna and Vincent Latimer. He was the youngest child of Edna and Vincent, and the brother of Sandra and Robert. With his engaging, vivacious personality and 6'6 stature, he was always the life of the party, never went unnoticed, and never met a stranger. Vincent had many passions, including photography, dancing, basketball, coaching, community activism, and his family. Vincent graduated from Murphy High School, Class of 1972. During his years there, he made plenty of lifelong friends, excelled at basketball, and was a star player. His athleticism, height, and personality made him quite the popular player around school. He eventually took his basketball skills to Clark Atlanta University. Following college, he worked at several different companies including MARTA, Federal Express, Pepsi Co., to name a few. All the while, he always enjoyed mentoring and coaching basketball. He led his daughter and her teammates on the "Georgia's Finest" AA UIYBOA team to win the State Championship, among many other victories. He was also an assistant coach at Clark Atlanta University where he coached for many years and would later coach for the World Basketball Association. Vincent also found the time to be a crusader for his community, championing many causes from air and noise pollution to community safety. He dedicated a lot of time and energy to improving his community while serving on the Board of Directors of the Partnership for Community Action and acting as the President of the Cedar Grove Neighborhood Association until he became ill. Vincent experienced setbacks with his health which curtailed many physical activities but never seemed to affect his ''feisty", strong, passionate personality. As many ofyou know, Vincent was not one to bite his tongue or hide his opinion. You were going to hear it whether you wanted to or not which made him quite the character that we will forever covet in our hearts. As a member of Greater Traveler's Rest, Vincent continued to be a man offaith, strength, love, and service. Passing on July 1st, he leaves behind to celebrate and cherish his life, his children Terrance (Char), Vincent Jr. (April), Jordan, and Lindsey, grandchildren, Clinton, Rico, Terrenc'a, Vincent Ill, and Trinity, his sister Sandra Meadows (David), the mothers ofhis children, J(athleen, Yolanda, and Linda, his sister in law Ms. Kathy Hill, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends. We will forever remember the man we knew as Daddy, Pops, "Tree", Coach Latimer, Vince, and Mr. V.

r9rder ofcJetvice

The Prelude The Processional The Scripture
Old Testament New Testament

"I Can Only Imagine"
Min. Calvin Denson, Sr. Min.]esse U7alker,III

The Prayer

Reverend Thelma Virgil

The Reflections (2 minutes, please)

Dennis Roberts, Clark Atlanta Teammate

Anne Kimbrough, Clark Atlanta Classmate

Litonya Todd, Neighbor

Evan Dowdy, Murphy Classmate

Dr. Crawford Lewis, Clark Atlanta Teammate

The Obituary (Read Silently)

"His Eye is On the Sparrow "

The Acknowledgement Candle Lighting Ceremony

Larry Nolley Terrance, Vincent, Jordan, and Lindsey

The Solo The Eulogy The Recessional

"How Great Thou Art"

3t 'I'af?!s Courage
Author Unknown
It takes strength to be firm, It takes courage to be gentle.
It takes strength to conquer, It takes courage to surrender.
It takes strength to be certain, It takes courage to have doubt.
It takes strength to fit in, It takes courage to stand out.
It takes strength to feel a friend's pain, It takes courage to feel your own pain.
It takes strength to endure abuse, It takes courage to stop it.
It takes strength to stand alone, It takes courage to lean on another.
It takes strength to love, It takes courage to be loved.
It takes strength to survive, It takes courage to live.
- Dad's Favorite Encouragement Piece

:Family T'bougbts
Dear Dad, although you are gone, you will always live in my heart. I will forever appreciate the lessons you taught me and how you pushed me to be a positive strong woman, speak my mind, and stand firm in what I believe in. I'm not sure that I can ever be as direct and fearless as you but from here on out I promise to make my best effort. Although, I want you here so badly I know that you are no longer in pain and you are in heaven showing off your colJection of hats, leather pants, and "old man" suits you loved so dearly. I can only hope that you linow how proud I was to have you as my father, how much . I loved and appreciated you, and how much you have impacted my life. I will always miss you and will continue to make you proud. - Lindsey Latimer, Daughter
One of the hardest things to witness is a person with such a large, strong spirit trapped in a body no longer able to contain it. When you watch a loved one who is sick you never want them to leave, all you think about is how bad you want them to fight. When they are gone, you 'vish with everything that they were still there...but that's the thing about a strong spirit...they did fight and sometimes leaving is how they won. They fought to be free, for their spirit to fill a place that was better suited for them. So even though you are gone and we miss you it gives me joy that your spirit is now in a place that is worthy and able to hold it. A place where you are free...from pain, suffering and limitation. As we reminisce on the memories and how you touched our lives we know that you are never really gone. You remain with us always...because that's the thing about Strong Spirits. RIP Uncle Vincent. Always loved and couldn't possibly ever be forgotten. - /(ristin Hill, Niece

~cf(nowledgements
The family of Vincent M. Latimer acknowledges with deep and sincere appreciation the many comforting expressions shown during the passing ofour loved one. There are those whose lives death cannot diminish.
Their love radiates forever in the hearts offamily and friends. We felt that love in your thoughtfulness. Thank you.
''Do not mourn me in sadness, But celebrate that I was here... For I lived"