DONALD KENT

The Honorable DONALD HALL KENT (Age 79)  
Of Richmond, VA passed away January 19, 2018. Judge Kent was born February 28, 1938, in Danville, Virginia to the late Jesse Elwood Kent and Margaret Hall Kent. Judge Kent was a member of Derbyshire Baptist Church, served in the United States Army and was a graduate of The University of Richmond, where he received his Juris Doctor from the T. C. Williams Law School. Following his military service, he began his legal career in private practice and became a partner in the legal firm of Thomas Kent Haddock & Sewell and then served as a judge in the Alexandria Circuit Court where he was Chief Judge for twenty-one years. Following his retirement from the bench he became Counsel for the Virginia Judicial Inquiry & Review Commission. Later, he joined the McCammon Group as mediator and arbitrator, where he served until December of last year. Among other distinctions, he was former Chairman of the Model Jury Instructions Committee and Education Committee of the Judicial Conference of Virginia, former President of the University of Richmond Law School Association, Recipient of the Carrico Professionalism Award and recipient of the Distinguished Law Alumni Award from the University of Richmond. Judge Kent will be remembered for his love of family, strength of character, strong work ethic and charity, as well as his love of playing golf and cheering on the Richmond Spiders. Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife of 57 years, Linda Saunders Kent; his daughter Lisa Kent Duley and her husband Michael; his grandchildren Michael Jr. and Caroline and his son Donald Hall Kent Jr. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, January 25 at Derbyshire Baptist Church, 8800 Derbyshire Rd., Henrico, VA 23229. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Benevolence Fund at Derbyshire Baptist Church, a cause Judge Kent held dear, at 8800 Derbyshire Road, Henrico, VA 23229.