Kent Holmes, 89, of Baker, WV  passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at the age of 89 with family by his side.

He was born in Provo, Utah and later moved to San Carlos, California, where he attended high school. He developed his passion for world history and international politics at Willamette University, and this drove his decision to apply to the U.S. Navy's Officer Candidate School after graduation. As a young naval officer in Honolulu, he met Virginia Hansen, a Pan Am flight attendant, and they married in 1958. After two years stationed in Manila, Kent attended naval postgraduate school, studying intelligence, and then became First Lieutenant on the USS Oglethorpe, which would take part in the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. In 1964 Kent began his career with the CIA, and served in Jakarta, Laos, Manila, Sydney, and Stuttgart. In July 1987 he was promoted to the ranks of the Senior Intelligence Service. After retiring, Kent and Virginia continued to travel the world from their home bases in Leonardtown, MD and Falls Church, VA, and volunteered extensively with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the American Red Cross. Kent was instrumental in the research for a memoir Virginia wrote, Guerrilla Daughter, about her family's experience in the Philippines during WW2.This work inspired him to write Wendell Fertig and His Guerrilla Forces in the Philippines: Fighting the Japanese Occupation, 1942-1945. Kent spent his final year in Baker, West Virginia, cared for by his loving family.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Virginia, their son, Edward (John), and his sister, Jeanne Stoker. He is survived by his daughters, Catherine, Christine Bennett, and Diana (Michael Russell), four grandchildren, and seven (soon eight) great-grandchildren, the lives of whom were much enriched by the wisdom and the gentle humor that were with him until the end.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 6-8 pm at McKee Funeral Home, Baker, WV and internment at Arlington National Cemetery will take place at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Kent's name to the Alzheimer's Association or the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance.

All arrangements are being handled by McKee Funeral Home, Baker, WV.