Vincent K. Gough, III

Vincent K. Gough, III, age 78, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Vincent was born in Pequannock, NJ, raised in Lincoln Park, and was the oldest of five children to Vincent and Marion Gough.  As a young boy, Vincent was a member of the Boy Scouts and enjoyed playing baseball.  Later he attended Boonton High School where he excelled in sports and was a member of the High School Varsity Track and Field team.  Vincent attended Wayne High School in his senior year after he and his family had moved to Wayne Township.  For many years Vincent would boast to his family that he had held the record for the number of sit-ups performed in his high school.  

After graduating from Wayne High School with the class of 1961, Vincent enrolled at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.  He attended the school for a couple of years then Vincent left when felt in his heart to serve his country and enlisted in the United States Army in 1964.  Vincent was stationed in Vietnam and was assigned as a Cryptographic Technician.  At this position he spent his time deciphering, cracking, and translating secret codes.  Vincent honorably and proudly served four tours during the Vietnam War in the United States Army from 1964 until 1970. During his service he earned the rank of Staff Sergeant and received the Bronze Star, the National Defense Service Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Good Conduct Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal.

During Vincent’s first tour in Vietnam, he met a young, beautiful Vietnamese woman by the name of Be Tran, whom he lovingly referred to as her nickname Tam, she worked with the US Army Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Operations.  Vincent had run into her a few times at her work, then later met her at a local tavern.  Vincent and Be hit it off great and it was truly a case of “love at first sight.”  Following his first tour in Vietnam, Vincent was sent back to the United States and was assigned a job in Washington D.C.  Vincent didn’t care for the position in Washington and re-enlisted for his second tour in Vietnam.  He did so also to be reunited with his beloved Be.  As fate would have it, when Be and Vincent reunited in Vietnam, they became husband and wife on February 2, 1967.  Shortly after getting married and while still in Vietnam, Be and Vincent welcomed the birth of their first child, their son Vincent.  Be, Vincent, and their son left Vietnam after Vincent’s honorable discharge from the US Army and settled in Wayne Township, NJ.  While living in Wayne, they welcomed the births of their next three children, Sanlee, Heather, and Nigel.  Vincent and Be called Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together and raised their family.

Vincent took a position as a Field Technician with the Bell Telephone company after returning to the US.  He later worked for Fairbanks Scales in Upper Saddle River for more than fifteen years.  Vincent then worked for Action Scales in Newburgh, NY and also Material Processing Technologies in Paterson, NJ where he was employed as Maintenance Manager and later promoted to Plant Engineer.  His last seven years of employment, before his retirement, he worked as a Field Technician with Verizon in Totowa, NJ.

Vincent was a volunteer fireman for the Wayne Fire Company #2 for many years.  He was also an avid softball player in a local bar league in Wayne and played on a Modified Fast Pitch Softball team for his company MPT.  Vincent was an avid hunter of large and small game and enjoyed hunting with both shotgun and crossbow.  He was a passionate fisherman, particularly of Trout and Bass.  Vincent was a lifetime member of the NRA and member of the American Bass Association.

Vincent was truly a man of integrity and a devoted patriot.  He was unapologetic about his views and opinions but always polite and respectful of others opinions.  He had a wonderful and colorful sense of humor and could captivate an audience of any age with his ability to tell a story.  One of his most prized possessions was his 1989 Jeep Wrangler, which was his first brand new car he ever purchased.  Vincent was an avid collector of model HO scale trains.  Seventeen years ago, in 2005, Vincent’s sister Janice donated one of her kidneys to him. A “Gift” that extended his life nearly two decades.

Aside from all of Vincent’s hobbies, talents, and interests, his greatest passion was for his family.  Nothing in the world meant more to Vincent than spending time with and providing for his family.  He treasured spending time with his children and grandchildren and cherished fifty-five years of loving and loyal marriage to his wife Be.  Vincent touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Vincent is survived by his wife Be (nee Tran) of Wayne, his son Vincent Gough IV and his wife Elizabeth of Neptune, NJ, his daughter Sanlee Larena and her husband Pete of Jefferson, NJ, Heather Pettijohn and her husband Josh of Highland Ranch, CO, and his son Nigel Gough of Wayne, NJ, one brother Bruce Gough of Branchville, NJ, two sisters; Karen Sherrer of Pennsylvania, and Janice Sladicka and her husband Bob of New Milford, PA, nine grandchildren; Jason Gough of Fredericksburg, VA, Connor Halma of Jefferson, NJ, Fiona Gough of Wayne, NJ, Lila Be Pettijohn of Highlands Ranch, CO, Corrin Pettijohn of Highlands Ranch, CO, and Harper Pettijohn of Highlands Ranch, CO, Ally Larena of Jefferson, Michael Phillips of New Windsor, NY, Joey Phillips of Ramsey, NJ, and many nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his parents Vincent and Marion Gough, and by his brother John Edward Gough.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Vincent’s name may be made to Vietnam Veterans of America, 8719 Colesville Rd, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910 www.vva.org