Obituary of William Kent Herron

William Kent Herron (known to many as Kent or Doc) passed away peacefully in his home on December 2, 2024.  Kent was loved and will be greatly missed by so many locally and all around the world.  His life spanned over 84 years, and started in Sioux City, IA on June 24, 1940. He was the son of William and Virginia Herron and was welcomed into the world by his older sister, Virginia. He attended grade school and middle school in Dubuque, and graduated from Dubuque Senior High School. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Dubuque (Summa Cum Laude and Honors Society) and his Master's Degree and PhD in Mathematics on the prestigious Danforth Fellowship at the University of Iowa, where he also served as a Teaching Assistant.

In 1968, Kent joined the faculty at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA, and there he spent over 56 years, until the day he died, as Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science.  Kent, warmly known to his Coe students as “Doc,” was a gifted teacher in and out of the classroom as well as a dedicated advisor, and mentor. He always made time for his students who quickly became his friends. Kent received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year 1973 and was President of the Coe Chapter Phi Kappa Phi.  Kent received many more honors and participated in too many professional organizations to mention.  Kent was also a great champion of Coe Athletics, and often traveled near and far to support the football team.  He served as Faculty Representative to the Midwest Conference and the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  He became Advisor to the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) and for decades was dedicated to mentoring and profoundly impacting the lives of these young men, as well as so many others. 

Kent’s immediate family included  his parents, his beloved sister, Virginia of Dubuque , and nieces and nephews: Steven Brown of Dubuque ; Carol (Gregory) Dennison of Port Arthur,Texas; Scott (Karen) Brown of Peosta; Stuart Brown of Dubuque; and Kimberly Brown. Kent was well loved and admired and will be greatly missed by his loving family, extended family, Coe family and many friends. Whether you were on the faculty, a student, or an alumni, Kent considered you part of his family. He cherished his friendships, many of which started at Coe, but also those that he discovered and nurtured.  One of Kent’s greatest qualities was connecting people literally from all over the world, with a particular knack for organizing his personal birthday celebrations capturing hundreds of people to participate in his adventures with him.

Kent was an avid snow skier and spent many winters as a ski instructor for the Aspen Ski Company in Snowmass Village, Colorado. He taught an interim class at Aspen introducing students to skiing and for many of them it was their first time traveling and living away from home. Kent was also an avid traveler and especially liked the adventure of traveling on his beloved motorcycles. During his life, Kent took countless students on trips both within the United States and around the world. Often, he subsidized trips for students that were unable to pay their own travel expenses. Kent enjoyed his life on the Coralville reservoir water skiing and boating and entertaining friends.  In addition to mentoring students, Kent also provided employment opportunities for many students by organizing a paint crew that spanned many generations of college students.

Kent was preceded in death by his parents, Brother-in-Law Robert Brown, and niece Kimberly Brown.

There will be private family services and burial at a later date and further details will be forthcoming regarding a Celebration of Life for Kent at Coe College in early 2025.