Robert Earl Kent Sr.

Mr. Robert Earl Kent of Chestertown, MD, passed away on March 3, 2019. Bob, the son of Oscar Avery Kent and Ethel Lee Biggers Kent, was born on January 11, 1925, in Mexico, MO. After graduating from Mexico High School in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a pilot on multi-engine aircraft, including the B-24 bomber. He left the service in 1945 earning the rank of Second Lieutenant. Bob graduated from the University of Missouri in 1949 with a degree in Economics. He married the former Mary Victoria McAllister, also of Mexico, MO, in 1951, and they were married for 62 years until her death in 2013. While pursuing a Master’s degree in Economics and Government Policy at George Washington University in Washington, DC, he accepted a position as a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) beginning a long and distinguished career. Bob was assigned to the Louisville field office, followed by stints in the Philadelphia and Kansas City offices where he worked on criminal investigations involving bank robberies, kidnappings and organized crime. In 1966, he became a Supervisor in the Special Investigative Division at FBI headquarters. In 1971, Bob was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge in Minneapolis and held the same position in Philadelphia in 1973. In 1974, he was named an Inspector reviewing field office operations. In 1975, he was promoted to Special Agent in Charge in Albany and then in Detroit in 1976. Bob participated in many of the FBI’s most significant cases, one of his personal favorites was leading a series of “sting” operations in Detroit that resulted in the elimination of a major fencing operation. In 1978, he was named Assistant Director of the FBI’s identification division. There he was responsible for all matters relating to identification services, and he supervised over 3,600 employees. He temporarily left that position to head up the New York City field office at the request of Director Judge William Webster. Colleagues will remember him as a dedicated law enforcement officer who loved his job. Bob retired in 1979 and he and Vicki lived in Daytona Beach, FL, before moving to Chestertown in 2000. Bob is survived by his daughter, Linda Lee Kent of Arlington, VA; his son, Robert Earl Kent, Jr. of Chestertown, MD; and three grandchildren, Matthew, Erin and Andrew. His family will always remember him as a devoted husband and a loving father and grandfather. A memorial service for Bob will be held in Wesley Hall at Heron Point, 501 E. Campus Ave., Chestertown MD, on Saturday, April 20, at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Robert Earl Kent Sr.

January 11, 1925 - March 3, 2019