Carole Dunaway Vincent of Laurel passed away on Friday, July 24, 2026, at her home surrounded by family. Carole was born in Colonial Heights, Va., on July 22, 1938, the daughter of Samuel Jordan Dunaway and Ruth Hasard Dunaway. She graduated from Seaford High School in 1956, attended Madison College in Harrisonburg, Va., where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1960, and later earned a Master of Education from Salisbury State College in 1985.

Carole was a lifelong educator whose career spanned nearly four decades. She began teaching health and physical education in 1962 in Laurel before transferring to Seaford Middle School in 1967, where she taught health. In 1985, she transitioned to guidance counseling at Seaford High School, a role in which she thrived until her retirement in 1999. Carole was deeply involved in her profession, serving as President of the Delaware School Counselors Association, and was honored as the 1991 Delaware School Counselor of the Year. Carole poured her energy into the students that she worked with, always available with a listening ear and a caring heart. Recognizing the needs of at-risk students, she developed and implemented a peer-to-peer counseling program in her school.

 Outside of work, she carried that same passion for children into every corner of her life. She became involved in 4-H in 1969, when her children joined the Sycamore 4-H Club in Laurel, Delaware, and went on to serve for many years as a leader of two clubs. She also served on the Delaware 4-H Foundation Advisory Board, the Sussex County 4-H Leaders’ Association, and the 4-H Links organization. In recognition of her decades of service, she was inducted into the Delaware 4-H Hall of Fame and received several Spirit of 4-H awards. She remained an active volunteer with Delaware 4-H through 2026.

In 1978, Carole and her husband, Tom, founded Vincent Farms, Inc. together with their children. Following Tom’s death in 2017, she stepped in to serve as President of the family business. The Vincent family was named Farm Family of the Year by the Sussex County Farm Bureau in 2004, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mar-Del Watermelon Association in 2012, and was recognized with the 2021 Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture. Carole was a woman of deep faith. When able, she attended The Uprising at St. Paul’s Church in Hebron and was also a member of St. Paul’s Church in Laurel.

Carole was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 57 years, R. Thomas Vincent; her grandson, Noah Thomas Vincent; and her son-in-law, Thomas H. Wood. She is survived by her children: Clayton J. Vincent (Cheryl), Anne Vincent Wood, and Raymond T. Vincent, Jr. (Teresa); her grandchildren, Connor (Chad), Paige (Andrew), Joshua, Jonah (Logan), Nathaniel (Jill), Erin (Don), Haley (Guillermo), Samantha (Mark), Thomas (Corissa), Elizabeth (Jeremy), and Shannon (Robbie); and 16 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers, Michael J. Dunaway (Patricia) and Robert M. Steele (Anne-Marie); her much-loved cousin, Gail M. Tipton; along with nieces and nephews who were very special to her. Carole was also especially fond of her cousins in the McGee and Hastings families in Laurel and considered them part of her immediate family.

Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 30 at the Hannigan, Short, Disharoon Funeral Home, 700 West Street, Laurel, Delaware 19956. Funeral services will begin at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Reverend Bill Cropper will officiate. Interment will follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to Harvest Ministries, 305 N Bi-State Blvd, Delmar, DE 19940.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.hsdfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are in the care of the Hannigan, Short, Disharoon Funeral Home in Laurel.