Vincent W. Pilgrim, Iii

Vincent W. Pilgrim, III, 52 of Saucier, passed away at his home earlier this week. Born April 12, 1969 in Burns, OR, Vince was the oldest of three children of the late Vincent W. Pilgrim, Jr. and Elizabeth Annie (Gibson) Jones. The family lived in Oregon while Vince Jr. served in the United States Air Force. Vince had a mobile upbringing, living in Oregon, Massachusettes, South Carolina and Florida, before making their way to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He was a boy none the less, enjoying playing outside and fishing. Vince went to work as a deck hand on dredging boats early on in his career, eventually becoming a commercial driver. Over the years, he has had his share of medical struggles, with most of those centered around his heart. In all, Vince had several "heart attacks" that brought him more than one bypass surgery and eighteen stents to go along with them. But no matter what came his way, Vince pressed on, doing the best he could day in and day out. He drew upon his faith in Christ to get him through whatever he faced. He was an avid reader and student of his Bible, loving to play his guitar in church for worship. Vince attended Mission Church in the Success community for the past several years, where he eagerly served in whatever way he could. If you ran into him, he very likely gave you a tract, as he loved handing them out and sharing his faith. Remembered as a down to earth guy with a straightforward approach, Vince was, simply put, a nice guy. Loving, caring and always friendly, he will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by all who knew and loved him. Vince was preceded by his father, Vincent W. Pilgtim, Jr., maternal grandparents Robert and Sarah Gibson and his aunt, Marion Rita Kelly. Left to cherish his memories are: his loving mother, Liz (Lamar) Jones of Saucier; his sister Beth (Allan) Christiansen of GA, and brother Robert (Teresa) Pilgrim of TN; aunts Phyllis (Jerry) Gross and Sarah (Bennie) Hilbun, both of Saucier, with his uncle Charles Ray Kelly. Vince leaves a legacy of several nieces and nephews, extended family, lots of friends and untold numbers of those he handed tracts to over the years. His final wishes were to be cremated, which his family is honoring. Trinity Funeral Services is honored to serve the Pilgrim family in their time of need, asking everyone to keep them in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.