Mary Louise Kent

Mary Louise (Horton) Kent of North Easton and North Eastham died peacefully at The Terraces Orleans at the age of 95 on February 18, 2021. She was born on October 31, 1925 in Brockton, Massachusetts to Robert Elwood and Frances Head (Norris) Horton, the youngest of six siblings. Mary was the sister of the late Dana Horton, Robert E. Horton, Jennie Mahoney, Leonard Horton and Marion St Aubin. Mary stems from a 12th generation Cape Cod family.

Mary was a 1943 graduate of Oliver Ames High School in North Easton and went on to attend nursing school at Morton Hospital becoming a registered nurse. Throughout her nursing career she was employed at Brockton Hospital and West Acres Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. She married her “high school sweet heart” Thomas (Bill) Francis Kent Jr. in July 1948. They were married for 67 years.

She spent her childhood summering in Eastham and in 1955 she and Tom built their first cottage, with friends and relatives, enabling them to continue the tradition with their five children. There was a strong sense of community on Turnip Field Road where she and three of her siblings had nearby cottages and long-term friendships grew with neighbors. Mary often referred to herself as “An Eastham Girl”.

Mary was a communicant of the Immaculate Conception Church in Easton and St. Joan of Arc Church on the Cape. She was also an active member of the Daughters of Isabella. Mary was the go-to person for baked beans for the Ham and Bean Supper fundraisers. She was an avid knitter, seamstress, baker and someone who enjoyed a multitude of crafts. Mary enjoyed picking wild blueberries and beach plums to use in various recipes. She was a master at digging clams and quahogs and passed her passion on to children and grandchildren. Mary was also an avid Patriots and Red Sox fan. She loved to sail to Billingsgate Island and welcomed anyone who wanted to go. If it was sunny and the tide was high, even into her 80’s, the 44 stairs that led to the beach were not a deterrent. In retirement Mary volunteered to check blood pressures at The Norseman, helped serve meals at The Council on Aging Lunch Program and routinely helped with set up at the Elks Friday Night Fish Fry.

Time with family was important and grandchildren recall hours spent doing puzzles at Christmas, floating in Cape Cod Bay on noodles, making water dams at low tide, playing solitaire, and making beach plum jelly with their grandmother. In the off-season Mary and Tom enjoyed traveling with the Newcomers Club. One of many memorable trips was to Donegal, Ireland where they visited relatives. Mary and Tom also enjoyed music and dancing.

Mary was the mother of Frances L. Higgins and her husband James of Orleans, the late Elizabeth Anne Slear and her husband Michael of Myrtle Beach, SC, Maureen Kent Goheen and her husband Charles of Wellesley, Thomas M. Kent and his wife Joanne of Lakeville and Dana F. Kent and his wife Maureen of Cheshire, CT. In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Mary was the loving grandmother of the late Joseph Higgins and the late James Higgins, Eliza Higgins, Carly DaCosta, Dale Slear, Dana Goheen, Elizabeth Burke, John Goheen, Jeffrey Kent, Daniel Kent, Nathan Kent, Matthew Kent, Erin Kent and Caroline Kent and five great-grandchildren.

A small memorial service will take place at a future date.

If you wish to make a contribution in memory of Mary please consider The Orleans/Eastham Elks Lodge, 10 McKoy Road, Eastham, MA 02642. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com.