Kent Dietz Thornell II, 76, passed away April 5, 2025, in Tucson after a battle with mesothelioma.
Kent is survived by his brother, Kurt Thornell; sister, Korrine Thornell; nieces, Korrine Lee and Rachael Schwarz; and nephews, Eric Siegfried, Nathan Siegfried and John Paul Pollock.
Kent studied at the University of Northern Iowa, 1966 to 1970. Kent worked as a computer software salesman and teen adolescent counselor and volunteered as President of the Oracle Historical Society and President of the Board of the Oracle Public Library.
Kent lived in and maintained the family’s 108-year-old house and acted in a couple of plays in the Oracle Playhouse. He loved to tinker with old cars and bake but traveling the world was his main passion.
He visited Peru, Italy, Greece, Croatia, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Netherlands, Mexico, India and Saudi Arabia. When younger, Kent sailed the Sea of Cortez with his brother in-laws.
He was the kindest person anyone could ever meet. It seemed everyone loved Kent.
A life celebration will be held on Friday, May 30, at 2 p.m. at 420 W. American Ave. in Oracle.