Obituary

The Rev. Kent Higgins died on March 20, 2023. Born in Oak Hill, WV, on September 5, 1944, he was reared in Fayetteville, and died in Charleston – all within 50 miles of each other. In between, he and his wife, Gail Vaughan Higgins, lived in Morgantown (where they were married in 1972); Horseheads, NY; Morgantown again (where their elder son, Michael Andrew Higgins, was born in 1975); Middletown, CT; Lewiston, ME (where their younger son, Christopher Alan Higgins, was born in 1978); Newark, DE; Barrington, RI; Princeton, NJ; Ridgefield, CT; Philadelphia, PA; Venice, FL; and North Fort Myers, FL. His early career was in cable television programming and management, which led to software development and marketing, and in turn to computer network design and management for the State of Florida. He retired as Director of Information Services for Robinson & McElwee PLLC, his brother’s law firm, a position he held for 15 years.

Fr. Higgins found his true calling when he studied locally for and was ordained to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church. He served churches in West Virginia from 2006 until his death and was for several years Dean of the Kanawha Deanery. Kent’s wife Gail said that he was happiest and most himself when he was in church. Kent felt this was true and that in general people doing what they are called to do are happy. Some of his sermons are preserved at http://stepsalongtheway.com .

Kent attended public schools in Fayetteville through the eighth grade. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, in 1963. He attended Haverford College for two years and served in the US Army for four years. During his military service he attained the rank of captain, served one year in Vietnam, and was awarded the Bronze Star and Army Commendation medals. He completed his college education at West Virginia University, receiving the BS in Broadcast Journalism magna cum laude in 1972.

His interests included history (especially that of his family); classical and church organ music; play production, especially stage lighting; and reading. Despite hauling them up and down the East coast, he was devoted to his family. He and Gail made it a point to always try to answer questions posed by Mike or Chris, which in pre-Google days was harder than it is now.

Kent is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gail Carter Vaughan Higgins; his sons, Michael (Jill Khoury) and Christopher (Rochelle Higgins); and his sister-in-law, Patti Hamilton. His younger brother, David Kent Higgins, died in 2021. His father, Stanley C. “Jack” Higgins, Jr., died in 1972 and his mother, Jean Annette Kent Higgins, died in 2011. A brother, Paul Higgins, was stillborn in 1942.

Funeral services will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1105 Quarrier Street, Charleston, WV, at 1:00 pm on Friday, April 14, 2023. Burial of his ashes will be at a later date at High Lawn Memorial Park in Oak Hill, WV, near the graves of his parents and both sets of grandparents.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred. Those wishing to make a memorial donation in Kent’s memory are requested to send generous checks to New River Episcopal Ministries, c/o St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 345 Kelly Avenue, Oak Hill, WV 25901. Funds received will benefit ministries in which Kent served.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com .

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.