Kent David Spaulding

Spaulding Kent David, 82, of Flower Mound, TX, passed away Wed., March 13, 2002 following a brief illness. Kent was born March 9, 1920 in St. Paul, MN to Nadine Blanchard Spaulding. His father, Homer Delos Spaulding, died in the flu epidemic two months before Kent was born. While growing up in St. Paul, Kent was active in the Children of the American Revolution, YMCA fencing and the Boy Scouts of America, achieving Eagle Scout rank. Following graduation from Central High School in St. Paul, Kent attended the University of Minnesota where he competed as a member of the University fencing team, winning the individual Minnesota State Fencing Championship. His college education was interrupted by the start of World War II. As a Naval Aviator, First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, he served in the South Pacific as a B-25 Bomber pilot, earning many decorations including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. After the war, Kent met Dorothy Fowlds of Minneapolis and they were married on August 9, 1947. Following his graduation from the Univ. of Minnesota with a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering, Kent and Dorothy relocated to Dallas, TX in search of employment in the oil industry. After a brief stint as a bricklayer in Dallas, Kent went to work for the Magnolia Oil Company, later becoming Mobil Oil Corporation. In 1950, while working for Magnolia in Louisiana, Kent contracted a near-fatal case of polio. He was not expected to survive, but surprised everyone and lived through six months in an iron lung and another six months of hospitalization. The paralysis from the polio was severe and Kent was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. After his release from the hospital, Kent resumed his career as an engineer with Mobil Oil and worked in the Oklahoma City office for most of his career as well as the Mobil office in Denver, CO during the early 1980's. He retired from Mobil Oil in 1984 after 35 years of service. Kent was an exceptional bridge player, earning master points in duplicate bridge competitions. As Kent's health began to decline in recent years, he and his wife Dorothy relocated to the Flower Mound area to live with their daughter and her family. Kent is survived by his wife of 54 years, Dorothy, of the home; daughter and son-in-law, Kay and Robert Joslin of the home; daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Clint Miller of Oklahoma City; son, John Spaulding of Houston, TX; sister, Marjorie Cook of San Antonio; grandsons, Jason and Travis Miller of Oklahoma City and Sean Spaulding of Houston, TX; granddaughter, Jamie Joslin of the home; niece, Marina Lewis of San Antonio and nephew, Peter Cook. No services are planned.

Published on March 17, 2002