Obituary by Carol Turner, Co-Chair London Region CND
London CND supporters will join with me in expressing regret and sadness at the death of Bruce Kent, after a short illness, less than a fortnight before his 93 rd birthday. We celebrate his contribution to the peace and-anti war movement, and send sympathy to his family, particularly his wife Valerie who stood shoulder to shoulder with Bruce in many of the campaigns he espoused.
Bruce Kent was a leading figure in CND over six decades. including a period as General Secretary then Chair throughout the 1980s. He remained a leading spokesperson for the Campaign thereafter. On his death he was a Vice President of CND, President Emeritus of the Movement for the Abolition of War, Vice President of Pax Christi and Patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
He was too a Vice President of London Region Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and remained active right up to his death. Unable to join us at Lakenheath on 21 May, he recorded a video message urging support.
Bruce joined CND in 1960, a new convert to nuclear disarmament. I recall the story he told of his first encounter with the young nuclear disarmament movement – his irritation when, as a newly-ordained Roman Catholic priest, the arrival of the bride and groom at a wedding service he was officiating at was delayed while protesters on the first Aldermaston march passed nearby his parish church.
This self-deprecating tale was typical of the humour and perspective he brought to his work for CND, and a reason of why he remained popular with audiences young and old over many decades.
Tributes to Bruce are pouring in, including from the Ham and High, his local Haringey newspaper which described him as a ‘peace hero’. He will be warmly remembered, and missed, for many years to come.
