Kent William Creswell, 81 of Okemos, MI, passed away Monday, February 15, 2021 at Mid-Michigan Hospice in Lansing, MI. His body has left the struggles of stroke and Parkinson’s and glaucoma-dimmed sight; his soul has joined the saints in heaven.
Born June 20, 1939 in Springfield, OH, Kent grew up in Cedarville, OH, the son of Nelson and Gertrude Creswell, brother to older sister Nancy and Robert, with whom he would share a birthday four years later. After graduating from Cedarville High School, he would go on to earn a BA in Radio Television and PhD in Communications from The Ohio State University, and a MA in Religious Education from Wheaton College. He also earned an FCC First Class Radio Telephone Operator’s License, which pleased him greatly.
Kent was preceded in death by his parents, in-laws Vivian and Charlotte Richards, brother-in-law Larry Richards, and nephew Paul Richards. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Eunice Richards Creswell, sons Stephen (Ceres) of Seattle, WA and David (Julianne) of New York City, grandchildren Ceridwyn and Leif, also of Seattle, his two siblings Nancy (Philip) Gegner in Indiana and Bob (Marijane) in Ohio, sister-in-law Sue Richards; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Kent met Eunice Richards at Wheaton College while they were in graduate school. They were married June 12, 1965, a week after Eunice received her MA in Religious Education. Stephen, at four months, got to attend his dad’s graduation in 1967. In 1971, David joined the family in Columbus, OH. For a while it seemed as if all they did was move... Wheaton, Chicago, three different places in Columbus, and then 45 years in Okemos. How can 55 years of marriage fly by so fast? Love and good memories surely help, along with mutual support and friendship.
Kent’s love of communications went well with his love of people. After graduating with a BA in radio and TV, he worked for Moody Radio at their associate stations (WCRF, Cleveland, OH; WDLM, Moline, IL) and flagship station WMBI AM-FM in Chicago as producer, on-air announcer/personality, and finally assistant station manager, before taking his family back to Ohio for a PhD. He taught and was responsible for ITV administration and broadcasting at The Ohio State University, and was general manager of WOSU Radio-TV before accepting a position at Michigan State University (1976-2002). In Michigan, his title, office location, and the name of his unit would change over the years. His moves along the way included the memorable Quonset Huts (where the Breslin Center is now located) and a final move to the new Communication Arts Building. His last title was Director of ITV (Instructional Television). Along the way he also taught courses in the College of Communication Arts and was adjunct faculty in the College of Education. He enjoyed participating in and hosting the ITV group of the Big Ten Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) and his work overseeing satellite teleconferences (1980-2002).
We move from what Kent did to who he was, the most important part of anyone’s life.
Kent was kind, friendly, and outgoing. He worked at remembering everyone’s name, such as all the people who worked in doctors’ offices so he could be sure to call them by name the next time he was there. He would do the same for cashiers at checkout or anyone serving him at a restaurant. He also had a birthday list that included the daughter of a neighbor, a former dentist, Eunice’s friends, along with family and coworkers. He was a wellspring of energy and positivity, looking to lift the mood and outlook of everyone he could.
Kent was a person of faith. The church was always important in his life, beginning with the Cedarville, OH, pastor who led the youth group at the Cedarville United Presbyterian Church when Kent was young. Kent wrote letters and visited whenever possible until Rev. Sterner’s death, and kept in touch with the Sterner children or spouses to the present. Since moving to Michigan, Kent has been an active member of Okemos Presbyterian Church, serving as Elder and chair of the Christian Education Committee. He especially enjoyed working with the youth – recruiting, training, and scheduling their help with the church’s sound system.
Kent was a helper wherever he was ... not only in the church, but in the schools he attended and at work. Teaching also brought the joy of working with undergraduate and graduate students. He took writing recommendations for his students very seriously and kept in touch with them to see if he could encourage or help in any way. He looked upon the short times he was in respite care, because Eunice was traveling somewhere, as an opportunity to help someone else. He wanted to make each person’s day just a little better.
Kent was a prodigious note writer to encourage and thank many people. Most notes would be written on scraps of paper, put in reused envelopes or just left on someone’s desk: A thank you to a pastor for a sermon or something else, a thank you to Laurie in the church office, notes to co-workers and friends from the past, and many thank yous, congratulations, or encouragement to the youth and their parents. He would jot notes to his sons and family members as well, often just to say he was thinking about them and hoped their day went well. He would leave lots of smiley hearts on scraps for Eunice. Many appeared on the kitchen floor or counter so you would be sure to see them when you came in. Throughout the years, Kent kept up with people, from those he knew in Cedarville growing up to the newest person he met, always showing others that he felt “You are important.” Even through his health struggles near the end of life, Kent continued expressing appreciation from the hundreds of thank yous following anything done to help start the day, after each t-shirt was put on, buttons buttoned, hair brushing, pill or eyedrop given, all day and every time at night when he got Eunice up and as he got back in bed. He would thank his caregivers during the day and be sure to thank them again when they left.
Kent never saw a piano he didn’t want to sit down and play. He learned to play by ear and also played some accordion in his youth. His and Eunice’s love of music surely started both their sons on the path to becoming accomplished professional violists. After retirement, he played singalongs of popular music from long ago at Burcham Hills Retirement Community and later at Bickford Senior Living in Okemos. He kept playing until his hands didn’t allow it anymore.
Kent took great joy in his role as husband to Eunice and father to Stephen and David. His intelligence, curiosity, musical talent, aptitude with technology, and humor are all qualities he passed on and encouraged in his sons. After they left home, he delighted in keeping up with what his sons, their spouses, and his grandchildren were doing. He would be cheering them from the sidelines, wanting to help in any way he could. And he was proud, oh so proud of them, and let them know how much he loved them at every opportunity.
Kent Creswell will be missed by many, his memory will lift our spirits and perhaps instruct how we are might be better as individuals ... more kind, more thoughtful, more loving, more faithful, more fun.
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