SGT Earlin Leon Kent, Jr.

SGT Earlin Leon Kent, Jr., 90, of Salisbury, passed away Thursday, January 30, 2020, at the North Carolina State Veterans Home in Salisbury, NC.

Born in Thomaston, Georgia on July 7, 1929, he was the son of the late Earlin Leon Kent, Sr. and the late Annie Lou Bishop Kent.  

A veteran of the US Marine Corp, he received the Korean Service Medal with three stars and the UN Service Medal. Leon was owner/operator of Lum and Abner Café in Thomaston, GA in the early 1960s. He managed Prince of Pizza from the 1970s until the mid-1980s then retired from the W.G. Bill Hefner VA Medical Center in 2006. Leon was an avid walker and could be seen cruising Salisbury at any time. He loved the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his grandparents, Andrew and Virgie Kent, Andrew and Molly Salter Bishop; great-grandparents, Tom and Delia Salter, In-Laws, Curtis and Idell Trawick.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife; Phoeba Trawick Kent of Salisbury, whom he married on December 25, 1961; daughters, Rosemary Kent of Linwood, NC, Martha Forrest (David) of Linwood, NC, Jacqueline Leonard (Jeff) of Tyro, NC; brothers, John Kent (Patsy) of Salisbury, NC, Max Kent (Joan) of Salisbury, NC; sisters, Yvonne Hamby of Stockbridge, GA, Sue Wright of Zebulon, GA; grandchildren, Jeff Leonard, Jr. of Salisbury, Kristan Leonard of Salisbury, Taylor Forrest of Linwood, NC; great-grandchildren, Kadence and Matilyn of Navarre, Florida.

Visitation: Wednesday, February 5, 2020, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Northgate Church, 1255 W. Ridge Road, Salisbury, NC  28147.

Service: 11:30 AM Wednesday, February 5, 2020, at Northgate Church with Pastor Ken Koontz officiating. Internment will follow at 1:00 P.M. at Salisbury National Cemetery, 501 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, NC 28144.  Military Honors will be conducted by the Lyerly Joint Services Honor Guard.

Memorials may be made to the North Carolina State Veteran’s Home c/o Barry Cartner, 1601 Brenner Ave., Salisbury, NC 28144.

Lyerly Funeral Home is serving the Kent family. Online condolences may be made at www.lyerlyfuneralhome.com.

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