Herb Charles Trent
April 22, 1952 – May 13, 2025
With love and heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Herb Charles Trent, who died peacefully on May 13, 2025, in Kenora, Ontario, surrounded by his family. He was 73 years old and had bravely endured an 18-year battle with kidney disease.
Born on April 22, 1952, in Brandon, Manitoba, Herb grew up in the Brandon–Neepawa area and often shared stories of his uncles, aunts, cousins, and the rest of his extended farm family. He spent most of his life in Kenora, where he built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and strong opinions.
A devoted husband to Val (née Gatrell), his partner of nearly 50 years, together, they raised three sons, Justin, Jordan, and Jeffrey, who will deeply miss their dad’s sense of humour, loud voice and questionable spelling.
Well-loved, well-known, and outspoken, Herb valued time spent with family, friends, and colleagues from the firehall and the railroad. He loved swapping stories, debating politics, and keeping up with the day’s events. On warm afternoons, he could often be found in his garage overlooking Rabbit Lake, waving to neighbours, offering a drink to visitors, or riding his lawn tractor down to the water to check on Val while she swam.
A proud railroader throughout his career, Herb served as the long-time local union president, advocating for workers through multiple contract negotiations and labour actions. He also served as a volunteer firefighter for 30 years, protecting his community, sharing laughs, and ensuring the beer fridge was always stocked.
Herb is survived by his wife; his sons and their spouses, Stef and Pam; his beloved grandchildren, Madison and Hudson; and his siblings, Terry, Tannis, Kelly, and Danny. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews who will remember his big heart, endless stories, love of photos, sense of humour and ear pulls. He is predeceased by his parents, Herb Sr. and Shirley, and his in-laws Andy, Evelyn, Heather, and Tim.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to all the healthcare professionals who cared for Herb, especially the staff at the Thunder Bay Dialysis Clinic and the Lake of the Woods District Hospital. Deepest gratitude to Doctors Rory Silverberg, Paul Watson, Shannon Wiebe, Meghan Olson, and Dr. Whiley, as well as Char, the physiotherapy and home care team, including Patti, Keri, Jen, Lindsey, and Mike Limerick.
A celebration of Herb’s life will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Bella’s in the Kenora Curling Club time will be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations in his memory to the Kidney Foundation of Canada.