Johanna Vincent

Johanna Tuulikki Vincent was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.  She fell asleep in death peacefully on April 12, 2022, with loved ones by her side.

She was born to Sakari Hautala and Leila (Laitala) Hautala on April 16, 1955 in Seinåjoki, Finland.  The family home was nearby in the village of Niemenkylå.

In 1957, the Hautala family moved to St. Marie, Canada to join a Finnish community there.  And then, in 1962, they moved to Quincy, Massachusetts to be closer to family.  For a time, the family lived above Ted’s Home Bakery in Quincy.  Johanna remembered playing in the small yard there with her siblings.  The family then moved to Harvard Street in East Bridgewater, where Sakari, a skilled carpenter, built a home for them.

Her mother, Leila began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and the family attended the Kingdom Hall in East Bridgewater.  It was there that Johanna met her future husband and the love of her life, Raymond Vincent.

On May 4, 1967, Johanna was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and from then on, she lived a life of integrity, zeal and faith.  There are many things that she was known for, but above all was her love of Jehovah God. It was the most important thing in her life.

On June 24, 1972 she was married to Raymond Vincent Jr. and they began to build a beautiful life together.

They had one child, Hannele.

Johanna was a kind person with the warmest smile and an infectious giggle. If a person received a gift or card from her, and most people she met did, they could be sure that she had given it much thought and care.

All her life, she considered herself the protector of her younger siblings.

She loved throwing parties for her daughter and friends, her nieces and nephews and then later on for her granddaughter, Emelia and niece Brook.  Any little reason was a good reason to have a party.

Her hobbies and projects were many. Anything that she wanted to learn, she made sure she learned it to the best of her ability.  She was a gardener, a seamstress, a photographer, a poet and a cake decorator.

Johanna loved to sing, and what a sweet melodic voice she had!

She wanted to hold hands with whomever was next to her at the Kingdom Hall, or when going for a walk.

She loved campfires, guitar music, fresh berries, salamanders, turtles and Star Trek.  She read every title by Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes was her favorite literary character. Johanna would frequently visit the Museum of Fine Arts and deeply appreciated the works of Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Francis Millet (whose art studio still stands in East Bridgewater).

She returned to Finland a number of times throughout her life to visit family there.  Finland was a place dear to her heart.  She was proud of her Finnish family and of the Laitala Furniture Company that was founded by her grandfather, Toivo Laitala.

She leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, kindness, and generosity.

She is survived by her husband Raymond Vincent Jr., her daughter Hannele Minsk, son-in-law Michael, and her only grandchild, Emelia Minsk.

She was  preceded in death by her sister, Margit Hautala.

She is survived by her siblings: Mark Hautala and his wife, Deborah, Katariina Vincent and her husband, Jonathan, Ruth Thetonia and her husband Joseph. She was step-sister to Stephen Hall and his wife Mary and to Pamela Prime and her husband, Donald.

She was a beloved aunt to Jaime (Duane) Medeiros, Heidi (Glen) Hautala, Nick (Krystal) Vincent, Michael Vincent, Brook Thetonia, Timothy Triggs and Daniel Triggs(Jena).

She was a great aunt to Hailey, Jailyn, Luke, Lakelyn, Maddox, Mason, Nathan, and Talia, and sister-in-law to Jane Triggs.

She also leaves behind aunts, an uncle and many cousins in Finland.  Her friends, family, and her spiritual brothers and sisters will miss her dearly.

Memorial services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the worldwide work of Jehovah’s Witnesses (religious and humanitarian activities) at www.jw.org or to Hospice of the South Shore at www.southshorehealth.org/give