Kent William Boothby

HALLOWELL – Mr. Kent William Boothby, also affectionately known as “Dad” “Gramp” “Grampie” “Great-Gramps” “Uncle Kent” “Boot”, 88, peacefully passed away at Gorham House on May 20, 2025. He was the loving husband of his Hallowell High School sweetheart, Angenett Rich Boothby with whom he shared 65 years of marriage.

He was born in Gardiner on Dec. 7, 1936, to the late Kenneth and Thelma (Murch) Boothby. He resided in Hallowell for the first 84 years of his life, spent summers on Three Mile Pond in Vassalboro and winters in North Fort Myers, Fla. for more than 25 years.

Kent graduated from Hallowell High School, class of 1955. He also joined the Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG) in 1955 where he pursued more than a 41-year career in dual status as a full-time federal technician and a soldier in the MEARNG at Camp Keyes. He worked there his entire military career. His military education included the Transportation HAZMAT course, Warrant Officer Basic Course, Warrant Officer Advanced Course, Supervisor/Management Course, and many other correspondence courses. He retired in December 1996 as the Transportation Officer at Camp Keyes for the MEARNG.

He earned many medals and awards including the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Seven Reserve Component Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Three Maine Honorable Service Awards, Two Maine Physical Fitness Awards, Two Maine Perfect Attendance Awards, and the Maine Adjutant General Award.

Kent was known as “Boot” at Camp Keyes where they played cards at lunch for many years. He was teased mercilessly by his peers when eating his cottage cheese and pineapples for lunch that his wife made for him so he would keep his jogging physique. He jogged most days after work around Camp Keyes and the surrounding area in Augusta.

Kent and Kim very much enjoyed the time they overlapped together in the MEARNG from 1982-1996. Kim would come to Hallowell with her children on Friday night for drill weekends and Angenett would care for the children while Kent and Kim went to their weekend drills once a month.

Kent retired as Chief Warrant Officer 5. He was excited when his daughter, Kim, and he were promoted together on the same day, Feb. 2, 1996, to Lieutenant Colonel and Chief Warrant Officer 5.

Kent was a great athlete. As one of his classmates stated, “he was the best athlete to ever come out of Hallowell High School.” He was described by his teammates as very competitive, tenacious, and determined to win all games. Kent was inducted into the Hall-Dale High School Athletic Hall of Fame in September 2014. He was a legend and a real Hall-Dale Bulldog. Angenett was convinced that his Alzheimer’s Disease came from the several concussions he had playing quarterback for the football team.

Above all, Kent deeply enjoyed and cherished the time that he spent with his children and grandchildren. He was always involved in the sports they were playing, whether it was tee ball, middle school, high school or college games, and rarely ever missed a game. He was a dedicated family man and family was the most important thing to him. He was a wonderful mentor and great role model for his family. He loved hosting his extended family and close friends who were always welcome in any of their three homes. Kent was an avid Red Sox fan and settled in North Fort Myers as the previous Red Sox training camp was only four miles down the road.

Kent had a real zest for life and was enthusiastic about whatever he did. As a young adult he would slalom water ski the water-skiing course frequently in the summer on Three Mile Pond. He loved his life with his wife, children, grandchildren, sister, sister and brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews. Kent was very dedicated to caring for his wife and she was dedicated to taking care of him with his dementia for the last 10 years of their life together.

When we were in the middle of raising our children, he would tell us to be sure “to smell the roses along the way”. Do not let your busy life cause you to miss the opportunity to really enjoy life. Kent retired at the age of 59, and he and Angenett traveled multiple times a year once he retired. They enjoyed traveling using their time-share with their children and grandchildren. In addition, they enjoyed their life in Hallowell, spending half the year in Florida for 25 years up until 2020, and summers at camp on Three Mile Pond with their immediate and extended family. Kent would sit in his favorite chair in the living room at camp in front of the picture window looking out at the lake stating it was the best view in the world.

Kent moved into Kim’s house in Gorham in the Fall of 2020 after Angenett fell and then passed away. He was not able to live alone. It was a rough time for him losing his wife and the life they had enjoyed together. He lived by “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going”. A few months later at the end of December 2020, he moved into The Gorham House Long-Term Facility during COVID where he lived for the next 4 1/2 years. He was resilient, adjusted to living there, and was happy there. The Gorham House Health Care Providers and staff provided very good health care to Kent as the Compassus Hospice Care Team did for the last eight months of his life. Kent came out of the Gorham House frequently to Kim’s home to visit and also to his grandson Kendrick’s home to celebrate holidays and birthdays in that period. For the first three-plus years at the Gorham House he and Kim would travel to Hallowell on the first Thursday of the month to have lunch with his 1953-1955 class/teammates, which he immensely enjoyed.

In addition to his loving wife of 65 years, he was predeceased by his parents; his son, Keldon; and several other family members, friends, and loved ones.

Kent leaves behind his daughter, Kimberly Boothby-Downing and her husband Michael of Gorham. He was the devoted “Gramp/Grampie” of Kendrick Ballantyne and his wife, Natalie, Keegan Ballantyne and his girlfriend, Sabrina Cabral, Kayleigh Ballantyne and her special friend, Jared Berube, Krystle Boothby LaFrance and her husband, Jacob. He was the loving “Great -Gramps” of Blair and Drew Ballantyne and Parker LaFrance. He is also survived by his sister, brother-in-law and their families; as well as several nieces, nephews; grand and great-grandnieces and nephews; step-grand and great-grandchildren; and very close friends.

Kent’s funeral service will be held on Monday July 7, at 1 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Episcopal Church, 209 Eastern Ave., Augusta. Interment will follow immediately after at the Hallowell Cemetery, Water Street, Hallowell, where Kent will be honored for the time he selflessly served in the Maine Army National Guard with full military honors.

Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 1 Church St., Augusta.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home website: http://www.khrfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/ or the Wounded Warrior Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org