Kenneth Ray Lentz

Kenneth Ray Lentz, age 73, of Payne, passed away peacefully on Tuesday evening, October 13, 2020 at his residence.

He was born May 9, 1947, in Paulding, Ohio, to  Paul and Doris (Cryer) Lentz.

On August 9, 1969, Ken married Barbara Jo McCullough of Payne.  Together they enjoyed 51 blessed years of marriage.  

Ken was preceded in death by his parents and older brother Larry.

He is survived by his wife Barbara of Payne, Ohio; sisters Paula (Mike) McKinney and Sylvia (Bo) Reilly both of Bradenton, Florida; children Kristian (Krista) Lentz of Des Moines, Iowa,  Sara (Shirah) Lentz of Tampa, Florida, and Amanda (Nick) Kleinhenz of Knoxville, Tennessee; grandchildren Addison, Emma, and Reagan Lentz;  Evan, Harper, and Grayson Kleinhenz; mother-in-law Helen (Parsons) Fast "aka Grandma Mac" of Findlay, Ohio.  

Ken graduated from Payne High School in 1965 and from Bluffton College in 1969 with a degree in Business Administration.  Over the course of his 40+ year career, he taught in Illinois, Florida, and Ohio; most recently teaching Mathematics and Computer Science courses for 26 years at Wayne Trace High School.  

Teaching was more than just a vocation to Ken; he had a lifetime passion for assisting, instructing and encouraging everyone he encountered well beyond his "official" teaching career.   Ken was also a dedicated father and grandfather and thoroughly enjoyed watching and encouraging all academic and sporting endeavors.    Just a few examples of this include building robots and coding with his grandchildren, driving hours to watch multiple sporting activities, and coaching not only his own kids/grandkids but many others in the community (most notably the Payne Puffins).    

He was also a very active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Payne.

Ken and Barb loved to travel together for many years with favorite destinations including Hawaii and South Florida.  He was also an avid golfer who enjoyed many, many rounds at Pleasant Valley Golf Course in Payne.

He will be truly missed by both family and friends, but we are thankful we were able to witness such a devoted, kind and thoughtful example of Christ's love for so many years.  He was truly a hero to us all and we take comfort in knowing that he is celebrating a life well lived.

To honor Ken's wishes of being mindful of community health and safety, there will be a small family only memorial service.  We plan to have a larger celebration of Ken's life later when we can safely do so.  

In lieu of flowers or financial donations, the family requests that you carry out an act of kindness that makes someone's day better. 

Fond memories may be shared at dooleyfunealhome.com