With deep love and profound sadness, we announce the passing of Kent Kingsley Smith, 65, who died August 21, 2025, after struggling with debilitating cardiac and renal health issues that started back in January of this year. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, and all-around really good guy.

Kent was born on May 27, 1960, at the Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, DC, the son of Wayne and Virginia Smith and new baby brother to his four sisters Wendy, Diana, Melanie and Shelley. The Smith home, on Cecile Street in McLean, VA, was a lively environment, where both Wayne (Pentagon logistician and former WWII P.O.W.), and Virginia (teacher, homemaker, and scout troop leader to both her daughters and her son), encouraged learning, critical thinking, creativity, empathy, and genuine kindness.

A love of sports reigned supreme for Kent throughout his life and most of his childhood was spent engaged in athletics. Kent excelled at swimming in the early 70s, played freshman basketball and football, and also junior varsity basketball until knee injuries sidelined competitive athletics. (He did, however, continue to wow his imaginary crowd of adoring fans most nights shooting hoops on the family’s back patio at the house on Cecile Street.) One of Kent’s all-time favorite memories was getting to attend the Jerry West basketball camp at VMI in Lexington, VA in 1974. Kent was also active in Cub Scouts, Webelos, and Boy Scouts, eventually meeting all requirements to become an Eagle Scout.

Kent attended local elementary and secondary schools in the McLean, VA school district, and, after graduating from McLean High School, went on to attend Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Kent graduated in 1982 and went on to work at Airlines Reporting Corporation in D.C. where he eventually advanced to manager, well-liked and respected by the employees under his charge.

While attending Virginia Tech, Kent fell in love – not yet with his partner for life (that comes later) – but with the music of the Grateful Dead. The band’s dedication to the creation of their original music and the live music shows really spoke to him and he dove headlong into that scene. Kent caught a few dozen shows while in college, also attending Dead shows whenever possible throughout his life. These concerts, and the live music shows of many other bands brought Kent much joy, especially when accompanied by his friends Tom, Bill, Stuart, Blair and Patty, his nephew Dalton, and eventually his future wife Marcia too (a Deadhead by proxy.)

A year or so after graduating from college, Kent was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease. Thankfully, it was treatable with radiation, and he was actually able to work throughout the treatments, remaining in remission until his death. Unfortunately, those very same radiation treatments that saved his life in 1983 wound up being the major cause for his heart failure issues later in life. It ends up, evidently, that the recommended radiation treatment for Hodgkins in 1983 was somewhat heavy-handed and Kent received nearly twice the dose that would have saved his life in today’s medical climate. The Hodgkin’s Disease was eradicated, but Kent’s cardiac system was compromised immensely in the process.

In 1989, with the aid of a fly-by-night dating service called Compatibility Unlimited, Kent, then 28, met his wife-to-be Marcia Heath, also 28, who had moved to the Northern Virginia area in 1987 from New England and they fell in love. After dating for a few years, they bought a house together in Arlington, VA where they were married on the large back deck on September 26, 1992. Their first child, Melody, was born in 1997 and Annalyn came along in 2000. Kent absolutely, unequivocally adored his daughters, passing on his deep love of music, sports, and, of course, lively political discussion and debate to them both. Kent and Marcia decided to leave Northern VA in search of a smaller place to raise their girls, and ended up in Ithaca, NY in 2000.

Ithaca was and is, a spectacularly beautiful place in which to raise a family and Kent, Marcia, and their young daughters thrived in such a lovely environment. Kent worked at Cornell University, first as operations manager for the CU Summer Camp program, then for 13 years as office manager in NRAES (Natural Resources and Engineering Services), then finally landing his job as accountant for Cornell’s Botanic Gardens, a job he loved almost as much as the colleagues he felt so fortunate to work alongside every day.

A move to Rochester, an area Kent and Marcia were drawn to because of its natural beauty being next to Lake Ontario, active arts and music scene, highly rated healthcare, and down-to-earth city vibe, had been in the planning stages for several years as they began to make decisions concerning retirement.

Unfortunately, in late January of 2025, the plans for the move to Rochester were put on hold when Kent suffered a heart attack during routine ulcer surgery. For seven months Kent put up an incredibly brave fight, first at St. Joseph’s in Syracuse where the amazing Cardiac ICU staff there worked round the clock to help keep him alive, then, after ICU, back and forth between Ithaca’s Cayuga Medical Center and in Sayre, PA at Guthrie’s Robert Packer Hospital. The battle proved to be too much though for Kent’s already compromised cardiac and renal systems, and he passed away during a stay at Robert Packer in August where doctors were attempting to treat Kent’s increasing renal issues.

There are very few words to describe the loss we feel with Kent gone. His passion for music was beyond belief, and we all have the intricate collage-covered CD cases to prove it – each offering a CD with songs hand-picked for that chosen acquaintance. Listening to the Grateful Dead will never be the same without Kent – the man who could tell you every time which song will be next on the set list after hearing only one or two notes.

Kent’s ability to write loquacious emails detailing his political beliefs, especially concerning the current chaos involving a certain fascist buffoon, will forever remain legendary to most of Kent’s friends and family, whether you were a fan of those particular treatises or not. Rest assured, the passion with which these opinions were penned was always sincere and it was always Kent’s hope that they would elicit critical thinking and debate.

Kent will be remembered for many things, among them, his unending love for his family and friends, music, sports, and all things creative. He was a kind, thoughtful and loving man with a big heart and a keen mind, always searching for truth and a return to a world focused on love, caring, respect, and human rights.

Kent is survived by his wife Marcia (Heath), daughters Melody and Annalyn, sisters Wendy (Carroll), Diana Smith, Melanie Smith, and Shelley (Shankle), brother Stan Blascow, brothers-in-law Carlton, Byron, Tony and Larry, sister-in-law Kathy, nieces Genevieve and Brittany, nephews Dalton, Garrett, and Evan, and several grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He is predeceased by his niece Adrien and parents Virginia (Morris) and Wayne.

Please join us for a Celebration of Kent’s Life being held on Saturday June 13th 2026 at Hopshire Farm & Brewery at 1771 Dryden Road in Freeville, NY just outside Ithaca in their event center from 1-4pm. There will be live music, aka “Songs to Fill the Air!”, finger foods, drinks (open bar) – alcoholic and nonalcoholic. *This will be a thoroughly casual affair, and tie-dyes of any kind are encouraged, but not mandatory. (FYI - The Hopshire event center is located on the ground level, with ADA approved restrooms.)

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Network for Good’s Jerry Garcia Foundation in Kent’s name, “a nonprofit that supports environmental, artistic, and humanitarian causes through the beauty of music and art.”

If you have any questions regarding the gathering (or you just want to say Hi and talk), please don’t hesitate to call Marcia at 607-339-9039 or you can reach her at her email mgheathsmith888@gmail.com

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