Thomas Kent

THOMAS HUGH KENT

Iowa City

Thomas Hugh Kent died Nov. 21, 2020. Tom was born on Aug. 17, 1934, in Iowa City, Iowa, to Frederick W. Kent and Clara (Hartman) Kent. He met Ann Laurel Johnson on a blind date and they were married Dec. 22, 1957. Married for 47 years, they raised their family in Iowa City. Tom was proud of his three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Tom attended University Schools (K through 12) and the University of Iowa with degrees in liberal arts and medicine. After medical school, he did an internship in Indianapolis, Ind.; residency in pathology at the University of Iowa; and military service at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C. Tom was professor of pathology at the University of Iowa from 1966 to 1995, where his major interests were gastrointestinal pathology and medical education.

He was a pioneer in medical education, developing a case method for learning pathology, self-paced learning, programmed texts, mastery learning strategy and computer testing systems. He founded the Group for Research in Pathology Education and directed it for 20 years. Tom spent countless hours bird watching, photographing and recording his findings. He took extensive birding trips throughout North America, compiling a list of more than 750 species, as well as compiling a list of 376 species of the 405 known to have occurred in Iowa. He founded the Records Committee of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union and was secretary for 20 years. He edited Iowa Bird Life for four years and wrote three books and more than 160 articles on Iowa birds.

He spent several retirement years organizing and archiving F. W. Kent photographs and records of Iowa birds collected over 20 years. Tom was also a Gold Life Master in duplicate bridge and enjoyed the study of history with a special interest in U.S. presidents.

He is survived by his son, William F. Kent, Iowa City; daughter, Judy A. Putney, Santa Rosa, Calif.; and daughter, Sally A. (Chad) Sell, Eden Prairie, Minn.; grandchildren, Justin (Julia Pustizzi) Putney, San Rafael, Calif., Heather A. (Nick) Ludvigson, Santa Rosa, Calif., Nikolas S. (Natalie) Sell, Eden Prairie, Mikalyna A. Sell, Chanhassen, Minn., Natalie A. Sell, Fairfax, Va., and Calder T. Sell, Minneapolis, Minn.; and great-grandchildren, Henry V. Ludvigson and Daphne A. Ludvigson, Santa Rosa, Calif.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ann; parents, Frederick W. Kent and Clara (Hartman) Kent; brothers, James A. Kent and Charles F. Kent; and sister, Barbara Kent Greenleaf. There will be no service.