William Kent, Jr.

DESTIN, FLA.—William T. Kent Jr., 72, son of Bill and Kay Kent formerly of Bethel Gilead, died January 7, 2007 at the West Florida Hospital Covenant Hospice Care facility in Pensacola, Fla.

"Bill," as he was known to all, was born in Hackensack. N.J. and lived the early part of his life in Westwood, N.J. He attended high school in Westwood, N.J.; Randolph, Vt.; and Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. He served eight years in the U.S. Air Force as a Radio and Radar Technician and was stationed in San Antonio, Texas; Lompoc, Calif., and Seoul, Korea.

Starting in his teenage years, he pursued his love of jazz as a musician and drummer. He and his wife, an accomplished singer, performed throughout the U.S. and at the Pensacola Jazz Music Festival. Over the years, he performed with many well known musicians and bands such as the Tommy Dorsey Band.

He enjoyed collecting and listening to jazz, fishing, auto repair, cooking, and spending time with his grandchildren. He will be remembered as someone who was lucky enough for his vocation to also be his avocation.

Survivors include his wife and best friend of 33 years, Summer Kent of Destin, Fla.; a brother, David M. Kent of Bethel; two sons, Jeff Kent and Bill Kent III of Muskogee, Okla.; and two daughters, Tiffany Maisel of Jackson, Miss. and Stephanie Shaner of Milton, Fla.; and nine grandchildren.

Memorial services were held January 14 at the Faith Assembly Church in Destin, Fla., where he and his wife were very active in the music program.

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