Barbara D. Kent

Barbara Diane Kent was born on July 27, 1951, to James Kent, Sr. and Ruby Bell Kent in Corpus Christi, joining a family whose bonds would remain central to her life. From the beginning, faith and family shaped who Barbara was and how she loved. She later graduated from Booker T. Washington High School, carrying with her the values of perseverance, pride, and community.

Barbara lived with a deep awareness of God’s blessings. In her own words, “The Lord blessed me with my grandchildren, whom I loved and treasured dearly. He did not stop blessing me. He gave me more to love and to treasure.” That belief guided her days. Her joy was found in the people God placed in her care, and her heart expanded with every generation.

Barbara shared many years of her life with Alfred “Horace” Briscoe Jr., her lifetime partner. She was also a devoted mother and a proud grandmother. She spoke her grandchildren’s names with love—Jomaliki, Jo’Kia, Sire, Eriyon, Epic and Khalil—each one a blessing she claimed as her own.

Barbara found her greatest joy in time spent with family, often gathered around a game table. Whether it was bingo, Monopoly, or Spades, she loved the laughter, the playful trash talk, and the shared moments that followed a good win—because for Barbara, the game was never just about playing, it was about being together.

She also embraced the mothers of her grandchildren as bonus daughters in love—Saushaw Smith, Erica Shaw, and Tenay Williams—welcoming them into her heart and family with grace and care.

Her life was marked by both love and loss, which she carried with quiet strength and unwavering faith.

Barbara was preceded in death by her beloved son, Joseph Christopher “Bowlegg” Jackson, whom God called home on January 16, 2023. She was also preceded in death by her parents, James Kent, Sr. and Ruby Bell Kent; her siblings Samuel Leon “Shane” Kent, Rajer Faye Golden, and Mary Kent Dixon; her sister-in-law Charlene Kent; her brother-in-law Mansfield Golden; and her god-given daughter, Jamika Williams, who preceded her in death at the age of 19.

She leaves to cherish her memory her siblings Charles “Buddy” Kent, James Kent, Jr., Phillip Kent, Sr. (Jan), and Willie Lee Kent (Cassandra). She also leaves her god-given sons, Tra’Cedrick Williams and Jabari Williams, along with a wide circle of relatives, friends, and loved ones who became family along the way—people she loved “like blood,” including Kim, Ann, RJ, the Taft family, and many others whose names live in her heart and memory.

Barbara Diane Kent’s legacy is one of gratitude, endurance, and love. It lives on in the grandchildren she treasured, the family she nurtured, and the faith she carried throughout her life.