Nancy Renee Kent, 45, of Denton Texas, passed away on December 20, 2015 at Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas following three months of recovery from a dual organ transplant.
Nancy was born in White Settlement, Texas. A graduate from Keller HS she briefly attended Southwestern University in Georgetown. Transferring, she found her home and herself in Denton. A devoted University of North Texas alumnus, class of '94, while a student worker, her UNT family captured her. Hard working, with an unquenchable, genuine desire to help, she brightened their lives in meaning-filled ways for nearly twenty-five years. She loves stray kitties, the band U2, and caring about others, friend or stranger. In her own words "I can't separate caring, never could, don't want to." "I like to like people." It was said of her "Nancy made people feel special. She had the ability to give someone her undivided attention regardless of the topic."
Her beloved Camp Sweeney taught her to manage the disease that would conduct her life. She lived her borrowed time with thoughtful acts of empathy. Manifesting as an inclination for privacy, she cared so deeply for others that she tried to shield all from the inevitable course of her diabetes. The disease was denied in her last three months, Nancy Renee Kent died, as she was born, free from diabetes. It was a victory that she didn't seek or celebrate, she was already freed from its most cruel impact. Nancy discovered an encompassing love. It allowed her to try for what she'd long ago decided was denied her: a truly happy future. Uplifted by love, reaching, she fell. Hers is a story about a life of compassionate goodness, by stubborn choice, walked in the mortal shadow of a disease over which she would unexpectedly triumph, with a love she had not thought would be hers.
To their despair, she is survived by her adoring husband, Michael R. Pursifull of Denton; parents Ruth A Kent and Joseph M Kent of Fort Worth; brother Ron Kent of Austin and his wife Doreen; brother David Kent of Fort Worth; nephews Heston, Kyler, Derek, Dustin, and Wil; and nieces Callie and Megan; and kitties Noodle, Callie, Smokey, and Midnight. She is preceded by found strays Dinky, Tiger, Beauty, Elwood and Skittles.
A service is planned for Jan 7, 2016, at 3:15pm., at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home 705 N. Locust Street in Denton. The family will receive visitors starting 2 pm. A brief graveside service to be held for any Friday, Jan 8 at 10am at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery 711 S Carroll Blvd. In lieu of flowers, her family requests that memorials be made in her name to Camp Sweeney http://www.campsweeney.org 940-665-2011; the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation http://dentonasf.com 940-349-7594; or the UNT Feral Cat Rescue group http://orgs.unt.edu/feralcat 940-390-0555.