Vincent Oscar Gustave Piotet was born on February 23, 1935, the fourth of five children born to Dr. Gustave Piotet and his wife, Renée Chavannes. He spent his childhood in the district of Morges in the Canton de Vaud, Switzerland.
His mother, Renée, was an accomplished English teacher with a gift for languages. She would delight her children by reading English classics, like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, translating them into French on the spot as she read them aloud. She also devoted herself to managing her husband's busy medical practice while raising their five children.
Vince's father, Dr. Gustave Piotet, was a physician and surgeon who served for 35 years as the Medical Director of the hospital in Nyon, Switzerland. In 1961, he was awarded the Legion of Honor in recognition of his medical service during World War II. He was also a gifted artist whose ink drawings and watercolor paintings reflected the same careful eye and steady hand that made him an exceptional surgeon.
Vince grew up with three older sisters—Claire, Micheline, and Laure-Lise—and a younger brother, Jacques. Each of the five children eventually dedicated their lives to helping others through their work in medicine, education, and the ministry.
From an early age, Vince was captivated by the sights and sounds of steam engines and trains. That fascination never really left him. He attended boarding school, where his aptitude for mathematics and physics quickly became apparent. Just as strong as his academic abilities, however, was his curiosity. He loved understanding how things worked and was constantly experimenting with electronics and electricity.
He also possessed an adventurous spirit that sometimes got him into trouble. Family members still smile at the story of how he "accidentally" left his violin on the railroad tracks so that a passing train might solve the problem of practicing an instrument he never enjoyed.
He later confessed, with his characteristic honesty and humor, that as a teenager he had more than once "borrowed" electronic components from public telephones to use in his own experiments at home. To Vince, every machine was an invitation to learn.
Though he disliked his violin lessons, music remained an important part of his life. He taught himself to play both the piano and guitar entirely by ear. Without ever learning to read music, he became an accomplished amateur musician who enjoyed playing with various groups, as well as simply entertaining himself and friends. Jazz, in particular, became a lifelong love.
Vince attended the Swiss Polytechnic Institute in Zurich. He would joke that, unlike his predecessor Albert Einstein, he had passed the entrance exam on his very first attempt. He graduated in 1960 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Those early years marked the beginning of a career that would build upon the curiosity, ingenuity, and determination that had shaped him since childhood.
Vince met his wife, Anne Angelique Chavannes, at a classmate's birthday party in Switzerland. The classmate was Anne's cousin, whose home she was visiting at the time. Anne had grown up in Uruguay, South America, and when she heard the sound of a guitar downstairs, she became curious.
The guitar was a familiar part of everyday life in Latin America but uncommon in Switzerland at the time. She had been quite homesick and wanted to see the musician. Of course, the musician was Vince. They seemed to hit it off quite well, and she offered him a cup of tea after the party. She loved to tell the story that he snuck a kiss as she was balancing a teacup in each hand. This is where their story began—a story that lasted 57 years. Vince had once made a bet with friends that he would marry the most beautiful woman in the world. He won.
They were married in 1960, soon after his graduation, and began an adventure neither would have imagined. They crossed an ocean to begin a new life in America, where Vince had accepted a position with General Electric in Schenectady, New York. It was the dawn of the Space Age, and he worked on GE's power systems to contribute to America's first satellite program.
Life in New York was not always easy, especially for Anne, who spoke very little English. They were young, far from family, and building their lives together one step at a time. When GE offered Vince a position in their new, pioneering computer department in Phoenix, Arizona, they welcomed the move. It was there, in 1962, that they were joined by their first child, Marguerite.
In 1964, a merger between GE and Machines Bull took place in Paris, France, and Vince's native French language and knowledge were a perfect fit. They lived in a little suburb of Paris, welcoming their second daughter, Jennifer, during that time.
In 1966, the family moved back to the United States, settling in Arizona, and toward the end of the year welcomed their third daughter, Jacqueline, completing the family.
Eventually, the family settled in Dallas, Texas. This is where, in the 1970s, the most significant life change began for Vince. It was the beginning of the Jesus Movement.
Being humanists, Vince and Anne had never really attended church, but they were looking for answers in life. They spent a few years practicing yoga and Transcendental Meditation and attending lectures by Swami Satchidananda. Anne was an avid reader and was also trying to understand what all this Jesus stuff was about.
In 1974, Vince and Anne began visiting a small storefront church. They were intrigued with Jesus. Who was this "Son of God"? Their evening discussions at dinnertime became very interesting, and the family began to participate as well. It was their genuine and humble curiosity that drew the family into the conversations and allowed the children's own personal faith to emerge.
Eventually, it was time for high school graduations, colleges, and weddings. All of the girls had landed in East Texas near Pine Cove Christian Camps, where they had each served. Two of the three had met and married their husbands there.
As the year 2000 rolled around, Vince and Anne decided it was time to sell their Dallas home. It was obvious that they would move to East Texas, where their children and grandchildren now lived.
In May of 2005, Vince began to volunteer his time at the Hospice of East Texas. He played his guitar and sang for patients and their families in the residence halls. He would go three to four times a week to play for an hour and a half each time. He played almost until the very end of his life, stopping only because his energy had run out, at 91 years old.
In the last ten years of his life, Vince had a huge and growing interest—you could call it an obsession—that blossomed out of his love for physical science. It was the relationship between resonance, vibration, and oscillation. He was on his computer every moment that his "dance card wasn't full," as he put it, researching. If there was ever a lull in any conversation, the topic would quickly turn to resonance. Eyes would inevitably roll, but the family listened. There is something special about the signature of our Maker, who created the earth—the way the patterns of nature all coincide and work in harmony.
One last thing to note about Vince was his social calendar—his "dance card," as he called it. It was always active and full!
His last residence was a little apartment on the property of one of his grandchildren, and almost every day someone would pick him up for a scheduled activity:
- On Sunday, Steven and Laurel Fields would pick him up for church at the House of Faith on Erwin Street.
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were his days to work out at the Green Acres gym. Afterward, he went to "his job" at the Hospice of East Texas to sing and play guitar.
- Wednesday lunch was at First Watch with his daughters.
- Tuesday mornings, he would get picked up by Keith Jacobson for an early morning men's Bible study.
- Many Thursday mornings brought visits from Ferdinand Boutin and Gary Van Dyke, and scattered throughout the week were visits and lunches from Chuck Robinson, Ernie Jett, and Larry Roberts.
- Saturdays were often spent with Ferdinand, who would take him on driving adventures.
- Thursday dinner was at the Van Dyke house, where he would faithfully arrive with his beloved "word collection" for Laurel and Vin. They would learn a new vocabulary word together and challenge one another to use it in conversation.
- Saturday dinner was at Jackie's house.
- Sunday dinner was at Marguerite's house.
- Holidays and summer visits were at Jennie's house, where he would get to visit his favorite restaurant, Kuby's, and the Dallas Arboretum.
One of Vince's greatest joys was being with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He didn't merely tolerate them—he delighted in them. He loved playing games and having thoughtful conversations with young minds.
Vince's life was quite remarkable, touching history in ways few people do. Yet those who knew him best will remember him less for satellites and computers than for the quiet faithfulness with which he loved God, played his music, and remained endlessly curious about the beautiful world God made.