Vincent John McFadden, 89, of Spokane, Washington passed away in the comfort of his own home on November 19th, 2020.  He is survived by his loving wife Miriam Therese (Ryan) McFadden; children Jean (Brian), Molly McFadden, Thomas McFadden, and Monica McFadden; grandchildren Christina (Josh), Stephen (Victoria), Joseph, Mary, and Elizabeth ; great-grandchild Rose; sister Rita (Ervin) Becker; sister and brother-in-law Mary Agnes and Vern Yelle; sister-in-law Violet (Cyril) McFadden; and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.

In his rest, Vincent joins his father and mother Dennis J. and Cecilia M. (Stelter) McFadden; and siblings Mildred (Bob) Zachman, Joseph (Joyce) McFadden, Terrence (Lee) McFadden, Cyril (Violet) McFadden, Francis McFadden, Theresa (Roger) Kannon, and Margaret McFadden.

Vincent was born on a remote farm near Webster, Minnesota, in 1931, the fifth of ten children.  He was almost 13 when his father died; with his older brothers away fighting in World War II, Vincent stepped up to become a father figure to his younger siblings.  Knowing his mother would need help keeping hungry mouths fed, he quit school to find a job at the Northern Pacific Railroad, where he worked for many years. In February 1952, he was drafted in the Korean War, where he served faithfully in the Engineering Corps of the US Army.  He received the Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the United National Service Medal.  Upon his return he met the love of his life, Miriam Ryan of St. Paul, Minnesota.  They were married on November 13, 1965, recently celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary. After the birth of their first child, Jean, they moved to Alaska, where Vincent worked on the Alaska Railroad as a mechanical foreman.

In the 1980s, with the children getting older, Vincent and Miriam moved to Spokane, Washington.  There Vincent completed first his G.E.D., then his Associate's Degree, and got a job with Washington Trust Bank in their print shop.  Even after retirement, he stayed busy, working on a steady stream of projects around the house.  But whether he was working or retired, Vincent always made time for his family. Throughout his life, Vincent was kind, thoughtful, and steadfast.  He let his actions speak for him: building a miniature garage for his son's pedal car, rescuing a bird caught in fishing line, frequently driving his wife and children (and later, grandchildren) to visit relatives in Minnesota, as well as smiling as he "ate" each piece of play-food his grandchildren offered him on little plastic plates. Vincent was a loving husband who took his duty to his family seriously and who carried the joy of that family in his heart.  He loved his wife "Minnie", as he called her, and the two of them made quite a team, both complimenting and complementing each other.  They shared stories, laughter, and love every day. Vincent treated everyone with respect and credited his Army experience and his faith for emphasizing the importance of accepting and finding friendship in people from all different backgrounds. A devout Catholic, Vincent belonged to the Legion of Mary in Minnesota and later designed and built a log-cabin church in Cooper Landing, Alaska, the first church in the United States to be named after St. John Neumann. He attended daily Mass at St. Augustine's Church in Spokane for many years.

Even though Vincent had to leave school at a young age to support his siblings, he never stopped learning.  Many evenings, he could be found sitting in his armchair with a book or magazine--maybe a Scientific American , a history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, or Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography. He loved the natural world and over the years took many camping trips with his siblings, wife, children, and grandchildren.  "Isn't it amazing?" he would say.  "We all came from the same place.  Even the oak trees are our relatives."  At home he spent hours peacefully watching the hummingbirds flit to the bird-feeder and the California quail marching through the yard.   Although Vincent's journey on earth is over, he will be remembered with love.

A special thank you to the Hospice of Spokane for their loving care and support in Vincent's final hours. Due to Covid-19 restrictions a memorial will be held at a later date.