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SOUTHFIELD — The pavilion at Catalpa Oaks County Park was dedicated to Vincent Gregory’s memory and legacy in a dedication ceremony on Sept. 18.
The former senator, who passed on Oct. 21, 2022, at the age of 74, represented Southfield for a decade in the Michigan Legislature, as a state representative from 2009-2011 and then as a senator from 2011-2019.
Gregory also served as an Oakland County commissioner from 1998 to 2008 and an Oakland County parks commissioner from 2003 to 2008. He attended Dundee High School in 1966 and Madonna University until he was drafted to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1968 to 1970. After his time in the Marines, he worked in the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department from 1973 to 2003. Decades later, he returned to Madonna University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2007.
Yolanda Smith Charles, who has served on the Oakland County Parks Commission since 2021, met Gregory through attending community events when she was serving as a trustee for the Southfield Board of Education. She remembers Gregory as someone she would engage in fun conversations with and that he would always bestow some wisdom upon her during their talks.
Smith Charles explained that it wasn’t until after Gregory passed that she learned more about his history and the integral role he played in the development of Catalpa Oaks.
“I dug in a little bit more and found out that he had conversations with one of our older, who is also deceased now, city councilwomen in Southfield, Joan Seymour. Joan called Vince because he was an avid greenspace person and asked him what he could do because she didn’t want the space to become a condo. Apparently, that’s when Vince got busy. He was on the parks board. So it really warmed my spirit to learn that about his history this year. He passed just about a year ago, and he passed really unexpectedly. We were all taken by surprise. He just has such a storied history. And now that I’m on the county board, kind of in a way, having followed in his footsteps. I’m also on the parks board. And so Catalpa is in my district.”
Gregory was born on July 20, 1948, in Detroit, which was fitting, because his daughter, Vanessa Soloman, expressed that her father loved the summertime.
“Summer holidays were his favorite holidays because they incorporated all the things that he loved: the summer and his family,” she said.
Gregory was a family man and is survived by his wife of 44 years, Yvonne, and their five children and 10 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Vincent Jr.
Soloman expressed that the pavilion dedication at Catalpa means everything to their family.
“He dedicated a lot of his time to working with the citizens of Oakland County and the state of Michigan. Just to have a small piece of something that we can share with our children is something that means a lot to us,” Soloman said.
Gregory’s daughter, Kristen Gregory-Webb, stated that she is “so honored and proud that my father’s legacy is being celebrated.”
“He devoted his life to helping others and ensuring that his community was a place that residents would be proud to call home,” she said. “Catalpa Oaks is a staple in our community. My father saw to it that this beautiful park would serve as a place where families, friends and neighbors alike could make memories for years to come. Through his work, dedication and commitment, he truly made this world a better place. I miss him beyond words. I will always be so very proud of him.”
Call Staff Writer Kathryn Pentiuk at (586) 498-1070.
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