(Fortunately for all of us, dogs have an endless amount of grace.)

This is the epitaph that Kent William Simcoe requested before his death on Saturday morning, May 25th 2002. For those of us who knew and loved Kent, whether as father, husband, grandfather, friend, brother, technical/video guru, or human, this simple statement speaks to the very heart of what Kent’s life was all about. Of those affected by the wake of Kent’s life are his wife of 15 years, Sally, his four children, Sherri, Brian, Mark and Anne, and four grandchildren, Ryan, Grace, Michael and Lucas. 

It would be impossible to mention all those whose lives were touched by Kent. His faithfulness as a friend was limitless and his generosity of both talent and treasures to those in need enviable. 

At the age of sixty-four, chronologically challenged if you will, Kent was intensely devoted to growing old gracefully. 

As a father and a friend, he gave people the courage to do what they otherwise would not, and encouraged them to reach their full potential.  

Kent was always found laughing and joking and took great joy in sharing his twisted (and wonderful) sense of humor. His very specific and somewhat obscure taste made him interesting to be with (and very hard to shop for).  

As a grandfather, he let his grandchildren bring out the kid in him.  

Golf carts in Sun City yielded to the Sun City Computer Rooter Scooter. When someone was in need, there was nothing he couldn’t or wouldn’t do. With a “can-do” attitude, he dove into helping everyone. In his “retirement” he seemed to work harder than ever – producing videos and CDs, technical writing, and consulting. 

Daughter Sherri Jorgensen says that “Dad lived everyday – probably the best model I have of living each day to do what is important for the people he loved and to do what enabled him to grow as a person.” 

Kent took us by the hand and with great courage approached this problem like the engineer that he was. His laughter and sense of humor and his wonderful generosity was the greatest gift he gave to my family – Linda Silva.

The above was written by Sherri and Mark, two of Kent's children and my friend Linda Silva. My thanks to them for their support through this trying time.

Kent died this morning around 5:00 a.m. His body just couldn't take any more. Though he had been responding well to the dialysis as far as flushing the toxins and extra fluid from his body, there was just too much auxiliary damage to the kidneys, bone marrow and lungs. He was resting quietly this morning when they took his vitals signs. He was running a fever and they were going to reposition him and give him something for the fever when he took his last breath. The nurse was with him and said that it was very peaceful and he had such a serene look on his face. I am grateful that he was not alone and for him that the suffering is over. 

I had the great honor to be married to Kent Simcoe for 15 wonderful years. Life was full of adventures, interesting people and wondrous places. Never one to be bored, he found lots of ways to keep both of us occupied. 

I learned a lot from Kent. He found beauty in things that most people don't even notice. From him I learned to really appreciate the wonders of nature such as rock formations and sunrises and to look deep inside of people and appreciate all of our differences. We used to love driving in our RV and he would point out things and the engineer in him knew how they were created (divine intervention not withstanding).

Some people think it's a bad thing when their life goes to the dogs. Not Kent, he thought of it as a privilege and honor. Kent was a kind and gentle man. He loved life to the fullest and lived it with gusto. He was always there when someone needed a hand, never asking for anything in return. The greatest compliment that you could pay him was to call him a Golden Retriever.  

Kent was active with Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) for over 10 years. At first it was to support my involvement, but I think he secretly really liked schlepping equipment for all the little video projects that he did. Our service dog, Shelby became the producer for our adjunct non-profit video business called Ashelby Pro Bono Productions (APBP). In all, APBP shot and edited 36 graduation ceremonies over the past 10 years as well as several other special programs and  presentations. Each graduate received a video of their ceremony as well as others who purchased them for the benefit of CCI.

Kent was also very active in our church. He had more fun applying his computing and networking knowledge and making things work. He also loved to sing. Music has always been a big part of his life and he was so happy when we found Pleasant Grove Community Church and were able to join the choir. Though he didn't always like the selections, he sang with great passion and gusto.

Kent has always been fascinated by disability. That was what first attracted him to me.  His opening line was asking about my hand controls to drive my car since he had a friend that was getting her first car and needed information. "I invited him out to my car to see the controls, better than inviting him to see my etchings.) But he also wanted to know the person and the story behind our disabilities. Through Simcoe Communications documentaries, he tried to show everyone that having a disability was not the end of the world, we are all differently-abled and just need to do things differently. Being the helpful kind of guy that he was, he perfected the art of assisting without being overbearing. If he could do it easier, he was pleased to do so. He certainly made a big difference in a lot of people's lives. You should have seen us do the grocery shopping, he'd take the high stuff and I'd take the low stuff and we'd be out in half the time.

Kent was my soul-mate. It was as though each of our lives were missing an integral part and we became complete when we met and married. I always said that I didn't think it was possible, but I was more in love with him every day. So for now, my heart is broken. I know that time will heal the ache, but there will always be a place that only he could fill.

God is great and I know he has a master plan that I cannot fathom right now. Perhaps it is just that there was an opening in heaven for someone with Kent's unique talents and sense of humor. As for those of us here on earth, he will be greatly missed.

Thank you all for your endless prayers and support during these past 2 months. They have sustained me and helped me face this time.

I will be putting together a memorial site for Kent, if you would like to send something to share, please click this link. He meant a lot to a lot of people, probably more than any of us can realize.

Love,
Sally

Information on the memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Kent's memory to Canine Companions for Independence or Pleasant Grove Community Church, his 2 favorite charities.