RICHARD P. KENT III
Lt. Col. (Retired) Richard P. Kent III, 62, of 1506 Darby Place, died Thursday at the UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.
A native of Freeport, N.Y., he was the son of the late Richard P. Kent Jr. and Dorothy Tirrell Kent and was married to Geraldine Exum Kent, who preceded him in death in November 2003.
Lt. Col Kent retired from the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot. While serving his country, he was honered with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, the Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal and the Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon.
Following his retirement, Lt. Col Kent served as an F-15E flight Instructor for Boeing Aerospace Operations.
He was a member of the Order of the Daeldalians, the First Flight Society at Kitty Hawk and the Man Will Never Fly Memorial Society.
He was an Episcopalian.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church with the Rev. Eugene Carpenter presiding. Burial will follow at Willow Dale Cemetery with full military honors.
He is survived by his daughters, Laura Exum Kent and husband, Clay B. Yeates, of Wilmington and Katherine Kent Hopper of Greenville; his son, Richard P. Kent IV of Austin, Texas; his son-in-law, Chadwick I. Hopper of Greenville; his grandchildren, Christian M. Hopper, Nicholas S. Hopper, Harrison T. Hopper, Marlee S. Yeates and Lucy K. Yeates; and sisters, Nancy Wertz, Joan Irwin and Dorry Bockelman, all of New York.
The family will receive friends Monday at Seymour Funeral Home from 7 until 9 p.m. and other times at his residence.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on April 25, 2004 10:37 AM