Passed away unexpectedly surrounded by loved ones, on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at the Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH) in Victoria B.C. He was born on May 12, 1952, in Yellowknife, N.W.T. to parents Fred and Martha Kent (deceased), who emigrated from the Czech Republic. Steve is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lise; daughter, Chelsea Pettinger (Abby and Luke); son, Joshua Kent (Jadon); brother, Perry and wife Jocelyne; sister, Linda and husband Alan (deceased), and nieces, Jamie, Christie (Jackson), and Jennifer. He is also survived by his uncle Jarka, many cousins, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.
Steve attended medical school in Manitoba and, after a pediatric pulmonary fellowship in Honolulu, came to B.C. in 1981. He quickly established himself as a passionate pioneer in the realm of pediatric pulmonology. Working closely with colleagues at the BC Children’s Hospital, he was involved in launching a newborn cystic fibrosis (CF) screening program in B.C. He was instrumental in establishing Vancouver Island’s first CF clinic at VGH, giving children and their families hope for a healthier future. Steve spent 3 years as a consulting pediatrician with interest in Pediatric Pulmonology, at the Shaikh Khalifa Medical Centre in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. He was dedicated to his Tofino, B.C clinic and took pride caring for the children in the surrounding areas. His work as a consultant pediatrician at Willows Pediatrics in Victoria was another impactful way he engaged his specialty.
Steve was a tireless advocate for his patients, a collaborative colleague, and an extraordinarily kind clinician. As a pediatrician, he consistently worked towards improving care and services for those with CF. A major acknowledgement of this work came in 2021 when Steve was recipient of the CF Canada Dr. Douglas Crozier Award for exceptional support to individuals or families living with CF.
As a medical educator, Steve prioritized trainee awareness of respiratory diseases and conditions. He was committed to learning about new and emerging therapies and treatments for CF and was always eager to share knowledge and opportunities with the medical community, as well as the children and families he championed.
Steve had an infectious sense of humour and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He loved running, kayaking and camping with his close friends (Brian).
A heartfelt thank you to the Saanich Fire Department, paramedics, and staff at RJH. Also, a very special thank you for the loving care and kindness of the doctors, nurses and staff at RJH CCU.
A celebration of Steve’s life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 2:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cystic Fibrosis Canada (in honour of Dr. Steven Kent).
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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61 Responses
Our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
Dr. Kent was a great support for our family and we will forever be grateful for all that he contributed to our son and daughter’s life.
The Black-Martinez Family
Dr. Kent was an incredible physician to so many families supported by our teams at Queen Alexandra Centre. He was respected and highly regarded by families and staff. I also briefly received his support with my own daughter when she was admitted. He was gentle and kind, knowledgeable and calm, which as a mom, felt to me like a lifeline. Both professionally and personally, I trusted his expertise and I always felt heard and respected. I thank his family for sharing him with so many of us, and for all that he gave to us. He was such a good person, and I admired him very much.
We were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Dr. Kent. Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with his family during this incredibly difficult time.
Dr. Kent was not only our son’s pediatrician for the past 12 years — he was a steady, compassionate presence in our lives. He walked alongside us through some of our most vulnerable and formative years, beginning with our son’s diagnosis. His kindness, patience, and dedication left a lasting impact on our family, and we will always be grateful for the care and guidance he gave us.
It is hard to imagine future visits without him. He was more than a doctor. He was a true healer and advocate for children, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him.
Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched. May you find strength and peace in the love he gave and the legacy he leaves behind.
With deepest sympathy from the Sleightholme Family,
We are extremely sad to learn of Dr Steven Kent’s passing. Steve was our son Tyrus’s pediatrician, he was an incredible Dr and wonderful person. His knowledge , caring and openness to innovation made him a standout amount physicians. Over the many years of caring for Tyrus he became more like a friend and teammate in the pursuit towards the best care and treatments for Tyrus.He was always interested in how Tyrus’s hockey was going and provided a positive outlook for the future. Tyrus is currently enjoying a full life in his dream career which would not have been possible without the skill and caring of Steve.
Steve lived a life of great purpose the positive impact he made on the lives of so many , ours include, will never be forgotten. His legacy will live on in every life he helped shape , every family he supported and every moment of health and happiness he made possible.
Dr Kent (Steve) will always hold a special place in our hearts.
With heartfelt thanks and deepest sympathy,
The Sleightholme Family
As the mom of 2 of Dr. Kent’s young patients,I extend my deepest condolences to all his family.As so many have said, his dedication, compassion and care with concerned parents when we had no idea why our son was so ill, his patient way of helping his patient feel heard and important even though a child – so many will miss him. To his family, thank you for sharing him with us all. May your memories be precious and comforting.
My condolences to Dr. Kent’s family for this great loss. I had the privilege to work with Dr. Kent and was always impressed by his professionalism, compassion and dedication. He was an expert in his field which was to the great benefit of all his patients. As a nurse I always felt heard if I had concerns and I really enjoyed his sense of humour! He will be missed by many!
I worked with Dr Kent in the pediatric care area from the opening of the “new hospital” in 1983 until my departure over 25 years later. He was also the MRP for my young son during a five day stay there. I have a fond memory of being the “patient” on a bed race team with him in the early 1990s. He was wonderful to work with, lovely with his patients and families and, as I recall, we could read his handwriting! I wish all the best to those of you who were close to him. Your world has changed. Your love has not.
Lise: My heart is with you and the family. I think back to the story that Steve would remind me of – how you two attended a dance where my band played, even years before you married and Steve and I started med school. He was a wonderful positive individual and he will be remembered by his classmates, patients, friends and families with smiles and memories.
I am at a loss. This is heartbreaking news. Dr. Kent was an incredible man, and in many ways, Kelley is still with us today because of him.
Dr. Kent became Kelley’s doctor from the day he was born, spending nearly a year with him at VGH hospital almost every single day. During that time, I would sometimes return to Kelley’s hospital room and see Dr. Kent from the hallway, gently adjusting his blankets in the crib. On a few occasions, I even saw him just sitting in the rocking chair, holding him.
I frequently brought up research studies and alternative treatments being used in other countries, asking if we could try them. Dr. Kent always took the time to read through the materials I provided. On several occasions, he even supported those alternative options. Few doctors show that kind of patience, openness, and dedication.
He also supported and attended a charity event with Kelley—Taking it to the Street in Sidney—a road hockey tournament that raised money for the Help Fill a Dream Foundation.
When Kelley was older and hospitalized , Dr. Kent allowed him to attend hockey practices with his PICC line. I don’t need to explain the risks involved; hockey is certainly not on the list of things you’re supposed to do with a PICC line. But Dr. Kent understood the importance of mental health and knew how much it meant to Kelley to be there.
Kelley has continued to play hockey he even became the first person with Cystic Fibrosis to play Junior Hockey in Canada, Dr. Kent came to watch him play.
I didn’t have Dr. Kent’s personal cell number—but Kelley did.
Out of all the doctors who’ve come in and out of Kelley’s life, Dr. Kent stood apart. He was compassionate, thoughtful, and most importantly willing to let Kelley live beyond his diagnosis. His loss is one that I know Kelley will struggle with for a long time.
To Dr. Kent’s family—I’m deeply sorry for your loss. I can only hope that knowing the profound role he played in Kelley’s life brings you some comfort.
Steven Kent was a compassionate and caring human being. Both my boys being premature were under his care and I always felt my babies were in good hands. Doctors and humans like him are rare today. It’s a great loss. Our heart felt condolences and love to his family❤️