Kent Edward Allaway, 61, of Wilmington, Delaware, passed while surrounded by family. He is survived by his beloved wife Karen, son Connor, father Jack (Sandie), brother Scott (Jessica), sister-in-law Deb (Thom) and nieces and nephews Isobel, Bodhi, Kyle, Finley and Nathan. His mother, Melissa, and step-father, Dave, pre-deceased him.
Kent was a true Delaware native, born at Dover Air Force Base while his father served in the Air Force. He loved the Delaware beaches, growing up with his mother’s family in Lewes, working summer jobs in Rehoboth Beach and spending family vacations in Rehoboth and Dewey. Kent particularly enjoyed spending time walking the boardwalk, shopping for treats at Candy Kitchen and dining in his favorite seaside restaurants.
Kent proudly served in the U.S. Coast Guard, and loved to share his experiences on various ships around the world. He worked in the hospitality industry for many years, bartending, DJ’ing, managing restaurants and finally settling into the convention business with PMA, planning meetings and large conventions. Kent mentored many at PMA and was involved with PCMA where he made a huge impact. Relationships that started out as business quickly grew into true lifelong friendships. Even though he retired, he still remained a vital part of many people’s lives in the convention industry, a legacy of which he was truly proud. Kent made many friends around the world during his work travels, and had many wonderful stories to share. While he enjoyed traveling, returning home to his family was even better.
Kent had a lifelong passion for cooking and he had the unique ability to recreate dishes without a recipe, considering them only a ‘guide’. He loved to cook for friends, family and neighbors, and made meal planning and preparation look simple. He especially enjoyed smoking ribs and brisket with the Big Green Egg.
Kent developed a love for the game of golf and waited each year for the start of spring so he could get back out on the course. He enjoyed playing locally, during business trips and at the annual Shed-Burnsie tournament. Kent had a wonderful laugh but could also boo with the best of them when things were going wrong for the Eagles.
Kent and Karen first met on a blind date, and Kent was quick to share that he was not interested in marriage or children. Nine months later they were married and were very blessed to spend over 30 years together and raise an amazing son. Kent was especially proud of Connor, who is an officer in the Navy and is currently attending medical school.
A celebration of life will be held at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 2313 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware 19803 on Saturday, February 21st at 11:00am. Visitation with family will begin at 10:00am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Tunnel to Towers Foundation:
