Kent Hallander

Kent Hallander, 85, passed away peacefully Sunday January 23rd at Renaissance in Lincoln Park.

Kent was born in 1936  to Vivian Kent, and Elvin Hallander in Newark, New Jersey. Kent attended Montclair Academy while the family lived on Crestmont Road in Cedar Grove before his father took an executive position with Trane in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1950. Kent finished High School and started at University of Wisconsin in Engineering before leaving and joining the AirForce. Kent was stationed in Bitburg, Germany and came home on leave to Anderson, Indiana where he asked his sister to introduce him to her attractive Spanish teacher, Patricia Wright. They married in 1957 and lived in Germany together until 1961 when Kent decided to take a discharge and come home to New Jersey to join a retail photography business called Photo Cullen his parents had purchased after moving back from Indiana.

Kent joined the staff and trained throughout the years to become both a Certified Photographic Professional, as well as a technical sales rep for Agfa Gevaert Industrial Photography. With the death of his father, he became vice president and helped operate the business until his mother retired in 1985. Kent was most at home running Photo Cullen in Upper Montclair. More than a few young people got their start working at Photo Cullen,  and the business thrived until the digital revolution brought down the entire analog photography business structure.

Kent was also very active in the Riverdale Police Pistol Team where because of his attention to detail, Kent excelled in competitions for many years. He was one of their top shots, and kept active until finally hanging up his guns two years ago. Kent’s secret was he loaded his own ammo and knew exactly what he needed.

After a divorce in 1974, Kent met and Married Rebecca May Wellott in 1978 and they settled in Packanack Lake, Wayne NJ, where they lived until this past September when they moved to Brightview Wayne Independent Senior Living.

Kent dealt with Prostate Cancer for nearly 20 years, which metastasized into his bones a couple of years ago for which he received treatment. Persistent Cellulitis and a recent bout with COVID 19 left him too weak to keep up the fight.

Kent is survived by his wife Rebecca May, his sister Carolyn Troesken, his three children Jon Eric, Leslie Ann, and Lara Kersten as well as a step son Harry Wellott. In addition he leaves behind Grand kids Alyson Hallander (NJ) and Corinne Vera (CA), Hayley and Kyra Plas (TX), and Cole Wellott (MA).