John Kent Obituary

Kent, John W.
SELKIRK - John William Kent died peacefully, at home, on August 20, 2024, following a long illness. He was born in Portland, Maine, on November 19, 1959, the son of Stanley Webber Kent and Constance Barker Kent. John grew up in Falmouth, Maine, where he attended local schools, as well as Governor Dummer Academy, graduating in 1977. He obtained a B.S. in meteorology from Lyndon State College, in 1981.
John started his career at FleetWeather, in N.Y., in 1984. In 2000, he joined the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He performed air quality monitoring studies and participated in other meteorology. In 2016, John was promoted to the Chief of the Impact Assessment and Meteorology Section, continuing until his retirement, in 2022.
John was a lifelong, infectiously enthusiastic birder, active in the local birding community as well as traveling worldwide, with birding as a central theme. John was on the Board of Directors of the New York State Ornithological Association and the Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club. He led many field trips, gave workshops about birds, weather, and Cornell's eBird.
John was an ardent audiophile, following many artists and genres. He was an amateur radio operator for 35 years, well known for his Morse code proficiency, and made contact with over 250 countries. John was also a foodie, sampling widely among cuisines and cooking many himself.
John was predeceased by his parents, Stanley and Constance; as well as by his sister, Susan Winslow. He is survived by his brother, Thomas and his wife, Susan, and their family; and by his sister, Susan's family, husband, Raimond Winslow and their family.
Contributions on John's behalf may be made to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy; Friends of Five Rivers; or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
There are no visiting hours scheduled. A remembrance will be held at a later date.
For further information and online condolences, please visit SimpleChoicesCremation.com