Kent Derelle Rattan

Retired architect Kent Derelle Rattan, 71, died Oct. 17, 2022, in his Buena Vista, Va., home.

The son of Dennis Meral Rattan of Quitaque, Texas, and Toni Ethelyn (nee McBrayer) Rattan of Memphis, Texas, and younger brother of Ronald Rattan, Kent was born Feb. 28, 1951, at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo, Texas.

The Rattans lived in Amarillo where Kent spent the first few years of primary school at Alice Landergin Elementary School. The family briefly moved to Springdale, Ark., where Kent attended Springdale Elementary School. The Rattans then settled in Clarendon, Texas, where Dennis started his own successful TV repair and cable management shop, Rattan TV. The family was a member of the local Baptist church, which instilled in
Kent the importance of God’s love that he would carry with him throughout his life.

As a child in Clarendon, Kent played baseball, directed plays in the local community theater, and attended Sunday school. Kent showed an early talent for academics, graduating from Clarendon Junior High School as Salutatorian. Kent graduated from Clarendon High School as the Class of 1969 Valedictorian and was president of the local National Honor Society chapter as well as the Spanish Club.

After high school, Kent accepted a scholarship to Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he graduated cum laude in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college, Kent taught at a prep school in Little Rock, Ark.,
and then pursued his graduate studies at the University of Texas, Austin, earning his Master of Architecture in 1983. Between 1983 and 1986, Kent lived and worked as an architect in Dallas, San Antonio, and Little Rock. In 1986, he moved to Bethesda, Md., where he worked as a Senior Project Manager at Marriott International.

Kent met Nicki A. Miller, of Erie, Pa., at the American Institute for Architects in Washington, DC. On March 25th, 1989, Kent and Nicki married. Together they raised their four children, Sean M. Porterfield, Julia R. Porterfield,
Elizabeth S. Rattan, and Claire H. Rattan in Frederick, Md. Kent remained with Marriott from 1986 until 1998, and then accepted a construction management and design position at Sodexo USA from 1998 to 2005. In 2005, the Rattan family moved to Austin, Texas, where Kent launched his own business, Design Services Plus, Inc. as the President and Project Director, using his project management and design skills for architecture projects. In 2011, Kent and Nicki moved to Buena Vista, Va., where Kent based his business until 2019, when he retired.

In his free time, Kent enjoyed fly fishing, hiking, traveling, playing the harmonica, making bad jokes, staying on top of current affairs, reading travel novels and British comedy, and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

He leaves behind his children: son Sean Porterfield, of Frederick, Md., and daughters Julia Porterfield of Baltimore, Md.; Elizabeth Rattan of Philadelphia, Pa.; and Claire Rattan of Staunton, Va.; older brother –
Dennis Ronald Rattan and sister-in-law Pam Rattan of Austin, Texas; nephew Brandon Rattan of San Francisco, Calif.; niece Jessica Fetzer of Houston, Texas; as well as ‘brothers’ Larry Springer of New Braunfels, Texas; and Nathan Noble of Alexandria, Va. Nicki A. Miller, his spouse of 33 years, died on Nov. 28, 2022.

A graveside memorial service for Kent will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023 at Citizens Cemetery, SH 70, Clarendon, Texas.