Patrice Vincent to be honoured Saturday with a military funeral

Warrant OfficerPatrice Vincent, a veteran soldier who was killed last week in a deliberate hit-and-run attack in St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, will be honoured Saturday with a military funeral.

Friends, former colleagues and family said they don't want him to be forgotten.

Vincent was a very nice man, a very hard worker, very positive, he was a great guy to work beside and a great guy to get along with," said Sgt. Marc Adolph, who worked alongside Vincent at the St. Hubert military base Vincent's last posting.

I was in shock, I was overcome...Even to this day, I still have difficulty walking into the office and not seeing him there.

Vincent's military career spanned 28 years and nine bases across Canada.

He worked mostly as a firefighter, often on Canadian warships protecting navy personnel at sea.

Vincent was just a few years away from retirement.

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Tributes to Vincent have poured in online a gesture Vincents friendsare touched by.

I went on Facebook and I was looking at all these pages! Were very grateful and thankful, said Lt. Guy Bernard.

Vincents family and friends say he was kind, and always generous with his time.

Several photos show Vincent participating in fundraisers, going door-to-door collecting money for muscular dystrophy.

He was also known as an avid ball hockey player.

Bernard told CBC Montreal that although Vincent was a private man, he was always surrounded by friends.

[Hes] someone really discreet, but he would always be in the middle of the crowd. He wouldn't be remote. He would be sitting at the table with the guys, having a drink with us.

Vincents family requested that Saturdays church service remain private, but those wishing to pay tribute to Vincent are invited to attend the funeral procession at the Yves Lgar funeral home at 10:15 a.m.