Former Frost Principal Dies at 60

The Fairfax-area community lost a beloved middle school principal, talented college admissions consultant, mother and neighbor Thursday.

Leslie Kent was born on April 14, 1951 and died June 2. She lived in Oakton. The 60-year-old spent much of her life teaching and supporting children through academics. She served as a Fairfax County Public Schools director of instruction in 1989. One year later she started a 13-year career as principal of Robert Frost Middle School.

"She was the very sane principal who, when faced with two 13-year old boys who ate alka-seltzer tablets so they could act like monsters with foamy mouths, charged them not with a drug offense but rather with "inappropriate use of science project material" and gave them some in-school suspension," said former Woodson PTSO President Nell Hurley.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored Leslie when she retired in 2003. Leslie was nominated twice for the county's Principal of the Year Award.

Her time helping kids didn't stop as soon as she walked out the Frost double doors, however. She started Leslie Kent Consulting to walk graduating high schoolers through the college admissions process. Leslie passed an exam, visited over 300 college campuses and met other requirements to become a certified educational planner. She volunteered her time at local schools, freely offering college advice to teens and their parents. Leslie was even quoted in a New York Times article about the college consultant profession.

A memorial service will be held for her at Fairfax Memorial Park at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Patch is compiling memories of Leslie from those who knew her. Have a memory to share? Email whitney@patch.com.