Rosalynde Kent

Rosalynde (Rollie) Kent was born in Kitsilano to Rosalynde and Charles Latimer in 1938, where she spent the rest of her life. She used to recall walking home after a day at Henry Hudson school, stopping to visit neighbours along the way. Rollie’s connection with Kits point ran deep and was almost her terroir.

Rollie attended Kitsilano High School and thrived there, playing violin in the school orchestra, and editing the school magazine and sundry publications. A major highlight for her was when Louis Armstrong visited her school to play a jazz concert.

In her senior school years, Rollie would cut class to indulge her passion for skiing. She went up Grouse Mountain on the old ski lift, enjoyed some skiing, and even stayed overnight in the small lodge. One of her fellow skiers turned out to be an Australian photographer, Brian Kent, and it wasn’t long till they were dating. Once married, they took an ocean liner to the Far East for their honeymoon, venturing as far as Brian’s native Sydney, Australia.

In the early years of her marriage, Rollie worked for Wilhelmina Meilicke’s interior design company, Leslie House Interiors. She must have been a great asset to them with her natural elegance and charm. Rollie ultimately became a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur in her own right.

Rollie gave birth to daughter Julia in 1963, and just over two years later, Gill was born. Rollie was devoted to her two girls. She created a wonderful environment in which they flourished; violin lessons for Gill, cello lessons for Julia, ballet classes, music theory, language tutoring, and regular visits to the Vancouver Opera, VSO concerts, theatre, and ballet. As a result, Julia and Gill both achieved successful careers, with Julia now a highly successful cellist and composer, and Gill a top professional violinist.

The family enjoyed European trips. London was explored enthusiastically, as were Paris, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Cahors and the Lot Valley.

In 1993 Brian had become the Vancouver Sun’s most published photographer, something Rollie was immensely proud of. Tragically, Brian died a few months after retiring, leaving Rollie a widow at 55 years old.

In the mid-1980s, Rollie’s interest and skill at calligraphy had led to an interest in letterpress printing. With typical enthusiasm, she bought a 19th century Chandler and Price platen press, and so began a love of letterpress printing that lasted the rest of her life.

Through reading, and with the help of many print friends, Rollie mastered this arcane practice. She learned most from Alex Widen, of The Alden Press, who became her adviser and friend. Thus was born The Turtle Press.

Rollie started to acquire wood and metal type, type cases, type cabinets, a turtle (a printers’ trolley- hence the name of her press), then chases and decorative cuts and ornaments of all sorts. She also acquired an 1855 Albion press, a Potter proof press, and a Midget Reliance press.

Rollie also began collecting books on printing, prints, manuals on printing, typographical catalogues, and eventually, the jewel in the crown of her book collection, a very fine copy of William Morris’s Kelmscott Chaucer. A number of years ago, she donated all of these to the rare book collection at Simon Fraser University. She also donated the platen press and some rare type to the recently-created Dick Kouwenhoven Book Arts Studio at S.F.U.

Through her immersion in letterpress printing, Rollie formed a whole new circle of friends and acquaintances and rubbed shoulders with some of the best Canadian printers. She celebrated their friendship every year with a wayzgoose, a traditional printers’ autumn party. She would hire one of the False Creek ferries, and bring champagne and blue cheese gougères for everyone. Back in Rollie’s garden, her guests feasted on the wonderful buffet that she had prepared.

Examples of Rollie’s printing can be found in The Royal Collection (U.K.), Oxford’s Bodleian Library, and The Library of Congress (U.S.A). She also printed a wonderful copy of the text for the first performances of Peter Maxwell Davies’ oratorio, “Job” at the Chan Centre.

In 1997, Julie and Ernest were married. Rollie was always thankful that Ernest met Brian, if only on one visit to Vancouver.

Julia and Ernest had their wedding reception on board the Frying Pan, moored at one of the Chelsea Quays in New York City. Rollie loved the occasion, but it was hard to see her without Brian.

Back in Vancouver, Rollie had a phone call one day. It was Noel Cleland, who had arrived from Sydney, Australia, aboard the same liner as Brian in 1954. The two had attended the same school and they kept in touch over the years. Noel, who had sadly lost his wife, Elonde, to cancer, was in Vancouver on business and called on Rollie to offer condolences on Brian’s death. Rollie and Noel formed an immediate bond and were soon a couple. It wasn’t long till they married.

The second marriage for both of them brought a blended family, the pearl of which was Jacqueline, Rollie’s new grandchild. Trips to Fredericton ensued, where Rollie bonded with Jacqueline and relished her new role as grandmother.

There were also trips to Boundary Bay for Jacqueline with Rollie and Noel. Swimming was de rigueur, as was playing in the garden under the cherry tree.

After reconnecting with Rollie and Noel in her late teens, Jacqueline formed an even closer bond with her grandparents.

In the course of her business, Rollie met Christina Watts over a handshake deal, and they formed a life-long friendship. Rollie treated Christina’s daughters, Veronika and Justine like grandchildren, as she did with Berkley and Brendan, sons of her friends Brian and Janice O’Sullivan.

Rollie and Noel now split their time between Canmore and Vancouver, and since Noel was a keen skier, Rollie secretly brushed up her skiing skills at Grouse Mountain to keep up with Noel.

Back in The Rockies, Ernest and Stewart joined Rollie and Noel, and a host of neighbours and friends, including Frank and Mickey (Noel’s old friends from Australia), Greg and Susan (Ernest’s sister and brother-in-law), and a host of others, at Lake Louise for many glorious ski days. This marked the start of over 20 years of consecutive family ski holidays in Canmore, with New Year’s Day brunch at the Post Hotel after a morning on the slopes.

Being president of APEGA meant visiting nearly every province and territory in Canada for Noel. Rollie went everywhere with him and was thrilled to visit distant places like Whitehorse and Yellowknife. She saw more of Canada in couple years with Noel than she had ever done.

Rollie and Noel also loved their trips to New York to see Julia and Ernest, and their trips to Europe. They went to places and did things with Julia and Ernest that they probably wouldn’t have on their own, such as canal boating on the Midi, travelling to Barcelona, Bilbao, Sicily, Venice and many other great European cities.

Later in life, Rollie and Noel’s health began to fail, so Gill and Stewart moved into an apartment close by so that they could care for them.

Eventually, they both needed professional help and moved to Sunrise of Vancouver. The compassionate care at Sunrise was outstanding, and Rollie and Noel were to to be found, most days, sitting together holding hands. The family will be forever grateful to the staff at Sunrise for the love and dedication they gave to Rollie and Noel.

Rollie passed away at the Easter Weekend, as Noel had done the previous year.

Rollie was a strong, independent woman who lived life on her own terms. She will be deeply missed by family and friends.