Robert Kent Lee

HOMER — Robert Kent Lee, a lifelong Homer resident and farmer, died from complications of chronic kidney disease Thursday (July 26, 2018) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. Upon turning 90 earlier this year, he said “it took a long time to get here, but it was worth it.”

Kent spent all his years on his family’s farm. He graduated from Homer High School in 1946 and earned a four-year scholarship to the University of Illinois.

Kent was lucky to love his work. Kent’s passion was farming, working alongside his father, his nephews and, most recently, his daughter and son-in-law. A gifted problem solver and self-taught machinist, he owned and operated Lee Machine Shop. He specialized in fixing Volkswagen engines, knowing that a common engineering flaw would cause most engines in the area to make their way to his shop.

He earned his private pilot’s license in 1948 and later became a single engine instrument rated commercial pilot. His airplanes were his favorite machines, and they brought him through many adventures. One such adventure that always made him smile involved the manager at the Homer Grain Company. He had shipped grain to a processing plant in Louisville, Ky. The plant called to say the entire shipment was damaged. The manager knew it wasn’t, and he called on his good friend, Kent, to assist. Kent powered up his plane and had the manager in Louisville meeting with the plant staff within the hour. Needless to say, their story about the damaged grain quickly changed from the entire carload to a cupful.

Kent was a fixture in the local coffee scene. At Gary’s, the Homer bowling alley, the ASC plant and Charlie’s, he would meet with his friends, not to gossip but to compare notes on crops and trade

stories. Kent was a true, trusted and loyal friend to many.

He was a member of Homer United Methodist Church, where he served as treasurer for many years. Kent served in the Army Reserves from 1950-1959. He served as a drainage ditch commissioner in both Vermilion and Champaign counties and resigned from the Champaign County district in 2016 after 45 years of service. He was a member of the Champaign County Farm Bureau.

Kent was born Feb. 22, 1928, to Henry McCally Lee and Gladys Leoda Rhoades Lee.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Marilyn; daughter, Linda, and her husband, Larry Drozt; and his favorite grandson, George. Harold Kilian, his brother-in-law, also survives, along with Kent’s nephews, Keith Lee Kilian, and his wife, Anne, and Craig Alan Kilian and his wife, Lorita. Also surviving are his brother-in-law, Norman Kunza; sister-in-law, Paulette Brock, and her husband, Lyle; niece, Jonelle Clark, and her husband, David; nephew, Kory Kunza, and his wife, Lisa; nephew, Mark Johnson, and his wife, Jina; niece, Amy Johnson; and many grandnephews and grandnieces.

Kent’s last words were “thank you,” and in that same spirit, his family wishes to thank the nursing staff on the seventh floor of the old Mercy Hospital and the sixth floor at Carle for their compassionate care during his last weeks.

Kent wasn’t fond of a fuss, and in respect of his wishes, there will be no services. At his request and in an effort to preserve precious farmland, his body will be cremated. Memorials may be made to the Homer Fire Protection District. Kirby Funeral Home, Homer, is assisting the family

News-Gazette 7/30/2018