Kent Hanby, Sr. 01/20/1938 – 11/14/2015

 

Richard Kent Hanby, Sr., 77, of San Angelo, Texas (formerly of Dadeville, Alabama) passed away at home on November 14, 2015, after a lengthy illness.

 

 

Born in 1938 to Elizabeth Kent (of Birmingham, Alabama) and Dana Thornton Hanby (of Rolla, Missouri), he spent most of his childhood in Birmingham, with his mother, his younger sister, Marilyn Beth Hanby (Higginbottam), and his maternal grandparents, Margaretta Woods Kent and Herbert Stearns Kent. After graduating from high school, he served in the US Navy as a gunners mate technician, 2nd class from 1958-1961, including aboard the USS Kitty Hawk on its
commissioning voyage around South America.

 

He attended Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, from 1962-1965, where he met and married his beloved wife, Janice Louise Smith, in 1963. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Forestry Honors in 1965. Kent also completed a Master of Forestry degree from Yale University in 1971.

 

Kent's forestry career of fifty years culminated with working for his Alma mater as Director of Student Services and instructor of Fire Management for Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Services from 1993-2003. After retiring, he continued to teach Fire Management part-time and lead Alabama Burn Manager Certification workshops for the Alabama Forestry Commission until 2014.

 

Over their 52 years of marriage, Kent and Janice shared in the joy of being the proud parents of two daughters, Shawn (Hanby) Kent Hayashi (of Center Valley, Pennsylvania) and Evan (Hanby) Girard '(of Evanston, Illinois), and two sons, Richard Kent Hanby, Jr. (of San Angelo, Texas) and Rodolphus Kent Hanby (of Goshen, Indiana), and the adoring grandparents of nine grandchildren: Catherine Elizabeth Hanby (of Dallas, Texas); Christina Bethany Hanby (of Raleigh, North Carolina); William Brian Hagan II (Center Valley, Pennsylvania); John Kent Girard, Benjamin Michael Girard, and Mary Katherine Girard (of Evanston, Illinois); Clara Elizabeth Hanby and Martha Anne Hanby (of Goshen, Indiana); and Scarlett Kent Hanby (of San Angelo, Texas).

 

He is survived by his wife, his sister, his children and grandchildren, a niece and nephew, and many cousins.

 

He will be lovingly remembered by family, friends, colleagues, and students for his adventurous spirit and love of nature, forests and fire management.

 

A private family memorial will be held at a later date, In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Hospice of San Angelo.www.hospiceofsananqelo.orq.