Others who worked with Vost on his books said similar things about him. Sophia Institute Press has published 12 books with Vost. Company president Charlie McKinney told CNA, “Kevin was one of the nicest, kindest writers we’ve worked with over the years. He was brilliant at taking complex ideas and making them understandable to everyday readers. What a shock it was to learn of his passing. He will be greatly missed at Sophia Institute Press, which has deeply enjoyed working with him over the past two decades.
Sarah Lemieux, publicity director at Sophia Institute Press, added: “Kevin was so genuine and sincere. He radiated the love of Christ in everything he did.
One of the last books written by Vost was published by Ascension Press on the subject of humility. In an interview with Aleteia in October 2022, Vost explained how the virtue of humility “does not keep us small but paves the way for the full development of all the natural and supernatural powers God gives us.”
Vost explained how humility helps heal our relationships, saying, “Another way to heal relationships and resolve divisions is to cultivate ‘intellectual humility’, to never pretend we know what we don’t. know and to always be open to learning from others. This kind of humility is absolutely necessary in our modern world where more and more people seem to think that it is better to silence people with opposing points of view than to struggle to understand why they think the way they do. make.
Those who knew Vost said it was him all the way; he practiced what he preached. Meredith Wilson, product manager at Ascension Press, said Vost “was a kind, humble person…and he lived the virtues he talked about.”
When asked to comment on Vost, many friends and colleagues vividly remember the very first time they met him.
Matt Swaim, host of the Son Rise Morning Show, recalls when Vost was one of his very first guests in 2007.
“He had just gone out with “Fit For Eternal Life,” a book on faith and exercise, and “Memorize the Faith,” which I had found extremely helpful as a new Catholic when I joined the Church,” Swaim told DAC. “Honestly, I was a little surprised at how generous he was with his time, since we were a new show on a local Catholic radio station. Over time I realized it wasn’t that there was anything particularly special about us that made him return our call – he was so responsive to almost everyone who contacted him. … He loved meeting new people and sharing the joy of his faith.
This first interview began a long-standing friendship and collaboration between Swaim and Vost.
“We did a series on just about everything he published because he had a way of writing and speaking that was so simple, deep and practical that it was hard not to smile when talking to him” , Swaim said. “Our last live interview with (him) in March of this year was a recap of our series with him on his book ‘You Are That Temple’, which was a review of the concepts of ‘Fit for Eternal Life’, the book that served as the basis for our first interviews with him…I have had the privilege of contributing to this book, along with others.Dr. Vost’s approach to faith and fitness always came back to the idea that Being healthy was not just for vanity or endorphins; we had to take care of our bodies in order to have the energy to serve others.
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Swaim said he had been trying for days to figure out how to capture Vost in words and explain it to people who didn’t know him in this lifetime. “The best I can say is that he was a child’s spirit in a grown man’s body with an old man’s soul. If he had any enemies, I don’t know. He radiated joy, humor, charity and love for Christ. And I will miss him very much. »
Mick Souza, who won the Mr. Universe competition in 1992 and returned to Catholicism several years ago, also contributed to “You Are That Temple” and was eager to pay tribute to his friend with whom he had much in common. .
“We were only 12 days apart. We both trained from a young age. We both competed in powerlifting and I competed in bodybuilding. was also very interested in bodybuilding.We were both very interested in nutrition and talked about how I prepared for bodybuilding competitions and how that differed from my powerlifting regimen.We were both very interested in eating for longevity,” Souza recalled. “I’m really going to miss talking to Kevin; I loved his way of thinking.
Souza also recalled the great respect Vost had for others.
“I only have a high school diploma and Kevin has many diplomas. When we first spoke, I didn’t expect to be on the same wavelength as him. To my delight, Kevin had the utmost respect for me despite my lack of formal education. We would of course be talking about theology. That’s what I liked the most… The Bible was the first book I read when I was 31 years old. Throughout my time knowing Kevin, I have been amazed at his ability to read and remember. I learned a lot from him about nutrition and how to think like Thomas Aquinas. I learned more about the gifts of the Holy Spirit from one of Kevin’s books. Kevin in my opinion was one of the greatest thinkers of the 21st century. I’m a better man because I knew Kevin Vost.
The tributes shared here come from a small handful of Vost’s friends and colleagues who struggle to find words to describe a man who was exemplary in his zeal for truth, his joie de vivre and his love for others. .
