Selden Gourley Kent, Jr., 82, died on Thursday November 1, 2012. He was born on September 18, 1930, in Miami, Florida. His father was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, and in 1912 moved with his family to Coconut Grove, Florida. His mother, Frances Mary York, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and in 1924 moved to Miami. They were married in 1925.
Selden graduated from Miami (Fla) Senior High School in 1948. His left arm was broken in a high school football game and was amputated following complication.
He graduated from the University of Florida in 1952 with a degree in political science. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and was senior class president, and attended graduate school in political science.
In 1953 Selden was selected for a one-year administrative internship with the City of Phoenix. After and in 1954 he was employed as a research assistant with the International City Manager Association in Chicago. In 1955 he was married to Frances Lovinggood and they had a daughter, Caroline Lee, in 1957, and a son, David Leith, in 1958.
In 1956 he was named as Administrative Analyst in the Division of Research and Budget in the City of Phoenix.
In 1959 he was appointed as Assistant City Manager in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and as Acting City Manager for several months.
In 1960 he returned to Phoenix when he was named Research and Budget Office Manager in the City’s Finance Department and he worked in this capacity for ten years. In 1965 Selden was divorced. In 1970 he was named as Administrative Service Manager with responsibility over the Department of Finance, Budget and Management, City Clerk and Management Information Systems until he retired in 1984.
In 1973 he married Josephine (Jo) Snow Sullins and they lived at 339 East Orange Drive in Windsor Square. Jo died in 2009. Jo had a banking career with 1st National and 1st Interstate Banks. Selden and Jo traveled extensively in the southern and eastern states and in Canada.
Survivors include daughter Caroline Sitler, Phoenix, son David Kent, Phoenix, daughter Sharon Johnson, Scottsdale, grandsons Taylor Alan Gray Johnson, Scottsdale, Dawson and Harrison Johnson, Scottsdale, and granddaughter, Madesan Johnson, Scottsdale.
In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, AZ, 85014 or to your favorite charity. The funeral service will be held at 12:00 pm., with visitation 1 hr prior, at A.L. Moore Grimshaw, 710 W. Bethany Home Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013, 602-249-2111. Selden will be placed at final rest at Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery following the funeral.
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