Keith C. Kent's Obituary
On October 9, 2016, Keith Charles Kent, C.P.A. was welcomed into Heaven after a long and fulfilling life of 95½ years. Born in DeQuincy, Louisiana on April 10, 1921, Keith graduated as salutatorian of his 1938 high school class, edged out by his future wife-to-be Louise Goode, who was the class valedictorian. He attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree (with distinction) in 1942. Keith served in the Army Air Force during World War II, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He flew 25 missions over Europe as a waist gunner on a B-17 bomber. Married in December 1944, Keith and Louise made De Quincy their home for several years and welcomed their two oldest sons, Stephen and Craig, into that hometown household. During the early years after returning from the war, Keith worked variously as a sales rep in the grocery business and occasionally assisted his father-in-law doing oil and gas land work, until a family friend encouraged him to use the G.I. Bill to go back to school for an advanced degree. Keith took this advice to heart and enrolled at the University of Texas in Austin. Living in old Army barracks that had been converted to student housing, Keith went to school for his Masters of Professional Accounting degree, while Louise learned to raise two young boys on a graduate student’s budget. Upon completion of graduate school, Keith moved the family to Shreveport, where he and Louise lived for 25 years, adding three more young boys to their growing family. He took up golf as a hobby, a passion particularly passed down to his three younger boys. With Louisiana being known as “the Sportsman’s Paradise,” Keith had to decide what outdoor adventures to follow with his boys. He chose water skiing and camping, and the family spent many a summer weekend on the waters of Lake Bistineau in northern Louisiana and Lake Greeson (the “Narrows”) in central Arkansas. While in Shreveport, Keith worked for the “Big 8” accounting firm of Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. (now known as KPMG). In 1977, he and Louise moved to Waco where their three younger sons were all attending Baylor University. There, Keith joined the accounting firm of Pattillo, Brown & Hill. In Waco, Keith gladly accepted the honorific of “Alumni by Choice” at Baylor University, counting twelve children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and his wife Louise as attendees of the university. Given all these connections to Baylor, Keith and Louise’s home in Waco became the “Kent Hotel” during football season. Blessed with the arrival of numerous grandchildren, Keith took on the role of Waco Tour Guide, as the grandchildren explored all corners of the Waco Lions Park and learned to swim in the neighborhood pool. After practicing public accountancy for 35 years, Keith retired in 1986. In the early 1990’s, he and Louise moved to Dallas where two of their sons lived. There, they continued to indulge their love of travel, taking tours through the Eastern Seaboard, Alaska, the Canadian Rockies, Glacier National Park, the Panama Canal, Scandinavia and other exotic locales. And their home became the new focus of family activities and gatherings, particularly with the backyard swimming pool, where the grandchildren – and even great-grandchildren – played and learned to swim under the watchful eyes of “Daddy Keith” and “Mama Lou.” Keith was known for his quiet, gentle nature, his hearty laugh at a good joke, and his steadfast devotion to family, church and profession. Never one to use coarse language, he entertained and puzzled his family with his colorful collection of exclamatory phrases used in moments of surprise, exasperation or delight: “Good night, Sally Goodins!” (often misheard as “Good night, salad goodness!”); “I’ll be Johnny Jumped Up!”; “Gee Monetti!;” “Good golly whop!”; “I’ll swan” or “I’ll swanee to goodness.” He was a Deacon in his churches in Shreveport (Broadmoor Baptist), Waco (Columbus Avenue Baptist, Chairman) and Dallas (Gaston Oaks Baptist), where he was routinely called upon to serve in a leadership position on every Committee imaginable. He and Louise participated in numerous mission trips with their churches. Keith was a member of the Lions Club in Waco. He was President of his local chapters of Certified Public Accountants in Shreveport and Waco, and stayed active after retirement doing volunteer tax work for the AARP and patrolling his neighborhood with the Neighborhood Crime Watch, among other things. As Louise’s vision and mobility decreased in the later years of her life, Keith became her caregiver, faithfully attending her every need. If ever there was an example of someone giving the “last full measure of devotion” to a cause, it was Keith in caring for Louise. Even after suffering a stroke himself in 2014, Keith’s first and unceasing concern was for his wife’s well-being. During the time of his own illness, Keith was always selfless and self-effacing, apologizing for imposing on others and thanking any and everyone who assisted him. After a brief illness, Keith died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his lifelong friend and beloved wife of 71 years, Louise, in January 2016, his brother Glenn R. Kent, M.D. of Mt. Pleasant, Texas in October 2016, and his parents Marvin A. Kent and Ottie (Perkins) Kent of DeQuincy. He is survived by his five sons Stephen and wife Pattye (Bay City, Michigan), Craig and wife Ruth (Ruston, Louisiana), David and wife Carol (Dallas), Paul and wife Lyn (Tulsa, Oklahoma) and Creighton and wife Donna (Dallas), along with 12 grandchildren – Bryan Kent and his wife Elizabeth (Choudrant, Louisiana), Brandie (Kent) Watson and her husband Matt (Eros, Louisiana), Kelley Louise Kent (Bay City, Michigan), Emily Kent (Bay City, Michigan), John Kent and his wife Kelly (Washington D.C.), Meredith Kent (Dallas), Robert Kent and his wife Rachel (Dallas), Andrew Kent (Kampala, Uganda), Collin Kent (Durham, North Carolina), David Gregory Kent and his wife Charin (Chicago, Illinois), Philip Jay Kent and his wife Lindsey (Dallas), and Sarah Kent (Dallas) –and ten great-grandchildren: Rachel Phoenix (Raleigh, North Carolina), Briley Kent (Choudrant), Beaux Kent (Choudrant), Augden Watson (Eros), Corbin Watson (Eros), Lily Kent (Chicago), Micah Kent (Chicago), Nathan Kent (Dallas), Ethan Kent (Dallas) and Baker Kent (Washington, DC). He also is survived by his sister-in-law Eddie Claire Kent (Mt. Pleasant), nephew Kevin Kent and his wife Jill (Mt. Pleasant), and niece Katy (Kent) Walker and her husband Philip (Rockwall, Texas); sister-in-law Arlene Goode (Lake Charles), nephew Mark Goode and his wife Margaret (Lake Charles), niece Sharon Thomas and her husband Roger (Lake Charles), and niece Debbie Doty and her husband Mike (Lake Charles). The family wishes to express special thanks to Jamilla Khalf, Sherri Parker and Jerri Bradford, caregivers who attended Keith and Louise with special care and devotion for the past two and one-half years. Visitation will be at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Ave., Dallas TX on Friday, October 14, 2016 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., with a memorial service to follow at Restland on Saturday, October 15, at 3:00 p.m. Condolences may be offered at www.restlandfuneralhome.com. Memorials can be made to the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, 7557 Rambler Rd. – Suite 1200, Dallas TX 75231-2388, or www.texasbaptists.org/give. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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