We were recently sadly informed that JCSE-VA Life Member #174 Larry Gene Kent (Jawbone), passed away on July 18, 2020 at age 70 in the state of Washington.  Larry was a Sergeant First Class in the JCSE in the early 1980s.  After 16-years of service, he left the JCSE and completed the Warrant Officer Course and retired after 20-years of active service as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2). 

Obituary

Larry Gene Kent (Jawbone)

JCSE-VA Life Member #174

December 14, 1949 – July 18, 2020 (Age 70)

Larry was born December 14, 1949 in Murphysboro, Illinois and passed away July 18, 2020 in Orting, Washington. He is survived by the love of his life Kathie, children Michael (Dawn) Kent, Michele Kent, Benjamin (Kelli) Riehm, Matthew (Samantha) Riehm, and acquired daughter Alison Crouch; grandchildren Amanda, Madison, Bree, Joshua, Sam, and Aiden; great granddaughter Arula; brother Daniel (Betty) Kent Sr.; numerous Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents Earl Kent and Betty Robison and granddaughter Rebecca Kent.

Larry enlisted in the United States Army on February 13, 1968, beginning an Illustrious career in Special Forces earning his Green Beret. Larry served in many different positions over his career culminating as a Communications Specialist. His duties took him all over the world, defending the freedoms that he believed in. Larry served in numerous campaigns, earning him many achievements and recognitions throughout his career.  After 16 years of service, he had reached the esteemed rank of Sergeant First Class, he decided to attend Warrant Officer Candidate School "Knife and Fork School"; commissioning him as a Warrant Officer for the remainder of his 20 years of service. Only when his body could no longer take the punishment, he retired a Chief Warrant Officer 2 on February 16, 1988.

Larry loved family. He loved spending time with the kids, grandkids and his great granddaughter. The happiness of his family, especially his Love Kathie, was instrumental to Life. He continued to share his knowledge and life experiences through telling stories… and boy could he tell a story. Larry had an incredible laugh that was heard often, as he was a jokester and no one was safe from his wit.

His interests were varied, far reaching and ever changing; however, Larry enjoyed the time he spent playing darts, trap and skeet shooting, fishing, and building bird houses. He took pride and enjoyed cooking meals for Kathie; at the same time, he loved when others cooked for him and always showed his appreciation for a well-cooked meal. As time passed, he could be found watching classic Western shows especially Gunsmoke or anything in black and white, and learning how to play and collecting guitars. There was not a topic he did not find interesting. His truest passion was riding motorcycles, it never faltered. He cherished the brotherhood he found in the Wizards of Mt. Rainier and eventually with Destralos MC.

To say that Larry lived a life of servitude does not seem to encompass the generosity that lived in his heart. From ensuring his grandkids always had "walk around Jack" (aka spending money), sponsoring children in Colombia, randomly handing out gift cards to people he met, to regularly paying for other customers groceries at the register, his generosity knew no bounds.

There were many aspects of Larry's life that were an open book, easy to see, and he was willing to talk about. There were also some aspects that he kept more private. In 2008, Larry was in the Intensive Care Unit and we thought we were going to lose him a few times. It is at that time he believed he met God, and He said that, "it was not Larry's time" as there were many strangers left for him to meet. Larry loved meeting people, learning about them, and sharing God's love.

His family knows that when he closed his eyes for the last time on Earth, he opened them for the first time in Heaven.