Charles Edward Dent

Our loving father Charles Edward Dent passed away peacefully the 22nd of February 2026. He was eighty-two. Toby, as he was known, was born on the 1st of October 1943, in Queens, New York. One of seven children born to Marguerite (Smith) Dent and David Dent Sr., his father worked as a supervisor at the United States Postal Service and his mother managed their home. As a child he and his family would spend summers in Adams Run, South Carolina; his father’s family home. There he would enjoy the quiet beauty of rural life running around with his siblings and cousins, chasing chickens and riding mules.

Always with a bop in his step, Toby loved music, specifically jazz. Starting in high school he would venture out with friends to jazz clubs around the city. The exposure encouraged them to start their school’s jazz club. Toby also loved to sing. As a boy he was selected for the New York All-City High School Chorus. This ensemble brought together students from across the city to perform at prestigious venues with professional musicians and directors.

After high school, in August 1961, Toby enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Following boot camp, radio school and troop training, he was deployed onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise (CV-65) for its maiden international crisis response; the Cuban Blockade. At the conclusion of this deployment the Marine Corps took Toby to Oahu, Hawai’i; a place that captivated him and he would return to later in life. He completed his four-year enlistment in December 1965, having been honorably discharged.

After the Marine Corps and back in New York City, Toby began to establish his own roots. He got married and started a family. And although that relationship ended, he was blessed with two beautiful children; Kymberly Church and Sean Dent. Along with a family, those roots included building a professional career. Toby proudly joined the AFL-CIO Trade Union as a newspaper printer; a job he loved. As he moved through his professional career, he landed in his most rewarding field as a Civil Rights Officer. While in that occupation at the New York State Urban Development Corporation, Toby met Janette Susan Hair. As the story goes, he was standing in the cafeteria line behind Janette when he loudly said to his friend, “Well, you know my doctor just told me that I have the body of an eighteen-year-old.” She responded with an eye roll. Being sure he had met the love of his life, after seven days of dating he asked Janette to marry him. Together they had three children: David Kamalani, Roben Danielle and John Michael.

Toby had a lot to be proud of in his professional career. He was an avid fighter for not only racial justice but justice for all. Ultimately, for services rendered, Toby was awarded the honorary rank of Colonel, Aide-de-Camp in the New Mexico Army National Guard by the Governor of New Mexico. Yet above all accomplishments, his family defined him and gave him meaning. Serving his loved ones and providing a gathering place for them was his life’s mission. Most important to him in his life was God. Toby’s strong faith and devotion to the Lord guided his life. He was the religious rock for his friends and family.

Toby is survived by his wife Janette, five children Kym, Sean (Alane), David (Ressa), Roben and John, and five grandchildren Joelle, Lauren, Aidan, Grace and Cora.

Services are being held at the Short Funeral Services Chapel in Georgetown, Delaware on Friday, the 6th of March at 11:30am. We wish to thank all the caregivers and hospice workers who compassionately cared for Toby in his final days. In lieu of flowers, Toby requested that donations be made to cancer research charities.