Kent Maxson

Kent Charles Maxson of Cañon City, Colorado, passed away at home on October 24, 2025.

Born on December 7, 1948, in Charles City, Iowa, to Wallace and Betty Maxson (née Beckwith), Kent moved with his family around age five to the warmer climate of Arizona. There, he spent much of his childhood embracing the outdoors through activities like hunting doves, pheasant, duck, and deer; fishing; swimming; hiking; and camping. He learned to play cards by watching family games of Cribbage. As he grew up, water skiing in the canals became another favorite pastime, alongside countless hours exploring nature with his loved ones.

From a young age, Kent took on various jobs to satisfy his budding curiosities. Beginning at age eight, he mowed lawns, later landing a job delivering newspapers, which he maintained for several years while also selling Christmas cards. As a teenager and young adult, his roles expanded to washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant, serving as a cook in an Italian restaurant, selling toys, trimming trees, grooming horses, and working in construction.

After attending school in Arizona and graduating from Camelback High School, Kent pursued higher education from 1982 to 1984 at the Community College of Denver. He earned an Associate Degree of Applied Science in December 1984. Following graduation, he employed his computer skills at Dora Moore and Associates in Denver, and later at the ARC in Denver, where he modernized their cash registers, office systems, telemarketing protocols and extensive donation/pick-up operations. As an early database pioneer, he wrote code that remains in use by AT&T today. Legend has it that he traded the code for essential AT&T records needed for his work. Throughout his life, friends and family often turned to him for quick solutions to their computer problems, which he eagerly embraced with an innate problem-solving flair.

On September 21, 1986, in a foothills park outside Denver, Kent married Cathleen Gallagher. The couple raised three children: Caleb, Kim, and Jaron. In 1997, after years of camping trips in the area, the family relocated to Cañon City. Along with some close friends, Kent and Cathy maintained a cherished camping spot in the mountains outside the city.

In Cañon City, Kent's professional life remained diverse, drawing on his wide-ranging skills. He held positions with the Census Bureau, in train track maintenance, as a front desk clerk, and as a cab driver. From home, he also created and sold coin jewelry on eBay. Beyond these roles, he loved investing in real estate and trading stocks.  He was well regarded as a generous landlord and a savvy investor.

A lifelong enthusiast of the outdoors, games, and competition, Kent thrived on poker, sports, fishing, and any challenge that came his way. Gardening held a special place in his heart, where he tended plants with remarkable patience. Handy by nature, he also loved fixing things himself, often skipping instructions to figure it out as he went—declaring the resulting product "close enough."

Kent spent his retirement years farming and enjoying time with his grandchildren—Paisley, Aryn, Woden, Cleo, Soren, and Alaster—who knew him as "Papa." He always kept ice cream in the freezer and a chest full of carefully-curated toys for them, eagerly seeking chances to sneak in some cartoon time.

Everyone who knew Kent felt his warmth, humor, and presence deeply. Simple routines, family traditions, and the joy of good company—especially if it involved playing cards, grilling steaks, or watching sports—were what he cherished most.

Kent is survived by his wife, Cathy; his children, Caleb, Kim, and Jaron; daughters-in-law, Michaela and Auria;  sister, Lory; brother, Carl; brother-in-law, Tom;  several nieces and nephews; and his six grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 8th at First Baptist Church, 7th and Macon St, Cañon City, CO, with a luncheon to follow the service. The family respectfully requests no flowers or donations. Instead, consider planting some seeds, flowers or a tree in the springtime.

May his stories, his laughter, and his enduring legacy remain with us always.

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