Barbara Kent was born to Suzanne (Dorothy) and Frank Kettering on November 6, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois. She had moved to Tempe, AZ, in 1943, where she attended Tempe Union High School and self-taught violin, flute, and snare drums. Barbara played the violin in the school orchestral, flute, and snare drums in the marching band and was a Pom Pom girl Jr. and Sr. year.
She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1961 with a degree in English. Over the years, she served as secretary for the DA’s office in Reno, Hidden Valley Country Club, Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association, UNLV Foundation, and Spanish Trail Country Club.
On June 8, 1963, she married Gary H. Kent from Fallon, Nevada. They were married 57 years before his death on August 3, 2020.
In 1974, Gary and Barbara earned their pilot licenses and enjoyed many hours of flying in their Cessna 702.
In the early 1980s, Barbara became the bookkeeper for Gary H. Kent, Inc., a commercial real estate appraisal firm, until 2007. During this time and when they were nearing their empty nesters stage, Barbara earned her Emergency Medical Technician State of Nevada Certificate on April 1, 1989. After a few experiences in the UMC emergency room, she quickly realized that while bookkeeping was dull, it was not all that bad.
Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, Barbara made a formal turkey dinner with eleven side dishes and enjoyed entertaining friends and family throughout the year. When she wasn’t cooking a feast, Barbara enjoyed golfing and playing bridge. She was known as the kingpin of her bridge group. In her spare time, it was easy to catch her focused on a crossword puzzle.
She was survived by her two daughters, Hella Pollizi (Monte Pollizi, husband) and Heidi Meidenbauer (Eric Meidenbauer, husband), and grandchildren, Remington Brown (26) and Haley Meidenbauer (18). Barbara will be cherished by all whose lives she touched.
Comment
Comments