Kent Sanborn loved seeing area athletes and people involved in other events, and now everyone is being invited to visit the legendary photographer in a celebration of his life.
The Celebration of Life Visitation will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. Monday, March 8, in the Ironton High School Conley Center gymnasium, 1701 South 7th Street, where Kent not only took many pictures but played high school basketball.
There will be no formal line in place. People are asked to come to the gym entrance and his wife, Becky, asks everyone to wear your school color attire or a Team Kent shirt.
COVID-19 restrictions will apply. Masks and social distancing are required.
There will be a family graveside service at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 9, at Sugar Creek Cemetery with Brother Dave Schug and Brother Chad Pemberton officiation.
The funeral procession will leave Tracy Brammer-Monroe Funeral Home at 10:30 a.m. and proceed along South 7th Street to State Route 141 and past Hecla Water Association on the way to the cemetery for anyone who wishes to view the procession and pay tribute to Kent as the procession passes by.
Pallbearers will be Lacy Dalton, Michael Miller, Greg Dalton, John Blankenship, Rodney Littlejohn, Victor Keisor, Bobby Pancake and Tommy Dalton. Honorary pallbearers will be Christian Hicks, Robert Stevens, Tony Shotsky, Logan Abrams and Jim Walker.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to their local school’s athletic department or band boosters. Donations can also be made to the Carl “Teen” and Vera Murnahan Scholarship Fund, c/o Rock Hill Athletic Booster Club, 2415 County Road 26, Ironton, OH 45638.
The beloved photographer died Thursday at the Ashland Community Hospice at the age of 61 following a battle with cancer. Kent spent the past 40 years taking photographs for the Ironton Tribune and then his SouthernOhioSportsPhotos.com online business as well as other area newspapers.
In his final days, Kent said, “I’m really going to miss the kids.”
And that best describes Kent Sanborn.