James McBride Dent

James McBride (Mack) Dent died Thursday, April 6 at home. He was born on July 22, 1934 in Douglas, Georgia, the son of Thomas Henry Dent and Wilda Davis Dent and the grandson of James M. and Olive Paulk Dent and Brantley D. and Geneva Durrence Davis, all of Douglas.

Orphaned shortly after birth, he was raised by his paternal grandmother until her death in 1948 when he moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, the ward of his aunt and uncle, Ethel Paulk Dent Culbreath and William E. Culbreath. He graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 1952 and the University of Florida in 1956, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Upon graduation he worked for the Davison Paxon Company in Atlanta as a marketing executive in Lenox Square, the first regional mall in America (1958). In 1960, he moved to Jacksonville as the data processing manager for Shands and Baker where he became Data Processing Coordinator for Florida Rock Industries. In 1980, he joined Barnett Banks of Florida specializing in the development of new corporate and commercial banking systems for twenty years during his career with the Barnett Computing Company, Nations Bank, and Bank of America. Upon retiring, he pursued his hobby as an artist, which became a new career. Working from his Sawgrass home, Mack created “The Wiregrass Collection”: pencil drawings of historical scenes, primarily Southern, but including the Union Generals, the Founders of Phi Beta Kappa, and the Crucifixion of Christ. Many locals have enjoyed his Historic Jacksonville drawings and the Confederate Generals and Founders of SAE prints hang in several fraternity houses across the nation. His World War II Generals are on display at The Ponte Vedra Inn and Club.

Mack is survived by his college sweetheart and wife of 62 years, Joan Kennedy Dent of Coral Gables; daughters and sons-in-law, Laurie and Bill Nash and Jennifer and Jeff Coker; grandchildren, E. William Nash IV and his wife, Leanna, and Laura Frances Nash of Jacksonville, and Kennedy McCaskell Smith and Alfred Harley Smith III of Atlanta; great-grandchildren, Laurie Frances Nash, E. William Nash V and Mack’s namesake, James McBride Nash; brother T. Lowell Dent; nine nephews and one niece. He was predeceased by his twin brother, John Quilla (Jack) Dent.

He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church at Ponte Vedra, the English Speaking Union, the Sons of the Confederate Veterans (Kirby Smith Chapter) and was a lifelong member of the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. Mack loved Florida’s first coast and the Blue Ridge Mountains, especially Highlands, North Carolina, where he and Joan enjoyed “Dentwood” for many years. Favorite activities were substitute teaching in St. Johns County and playing with his dog, Maggie, but Mack’s main passion was his family with whom he and Joan shared all holidays and most vacations. He spent many happy hours taking his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to the beach and hiking with them in the mountains.

Burial will be at 9:30 am, Wednesday, April 12th in Oaklawn Cemetery, followed by an 11:00 am memorial service at Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra. Donations may be made to Christ Church, Mayo Clinic, and the Jacksonville Humane Society. Friends and family will be received from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, April 11th at the Nash home, 3328 Oak Street. The family would especially like to thank Bettye Holmes, her daughter, and granddaughter for the loving care they gave Mr. Dent in the final month of his life.