Kent Dana, who had been the face of the Valley’s nightly news for three decades, died Tuesday afternoon. Dana died after complications after hip surgery in January, surrounded by his family.
Janet, his 42-year-old wife, and their two children, as well as four children from his former marriage, survive him. He had a total of 13 grandkids.
Dana reported news from the Oklahoma City terror bombing site, the Los Angeles riots, and Barry Goldwater’s living room on Phoenix radio during his career. But he’ll be remembered for being a regular at the anchor desk during a time when local television news dominated the ratings.
Kent grew up in a small house on Central Avenue and Thomas Road, now the historic Willo District, as the third of seven children. Phoenix was still forming its character throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Kent was in the same boat.
He sold doughnuts door-to-door as a kid, worked as a paperboy for The Arizona Republic, and worked on homes in the Arcadia area and at Christown Mall during the summers.
Kent won the “Mr. Little Arizona Pageant” at the historic Orpheum Theatre when he was five years old.
He discovered his calling as an actor at the Phoenix Little Theatre in downtown Phoenix, which is now known as the Phoenix Theatre Company when he was around ten years old.
Kent was nominated for “Best Child Actor” for his performance in “The Remarkable Mr. PennyPacker.”
