Kent Hayden Jamison

Kent Hayden Jamison, of Saint Paul passed away unexpectedly on February 20, 2026. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in January 26, 1952 to Charles Hayden Jamison and Sarah (Von Vieda) Jamison, the third of four sons. Kent spent his early years in Beloit and then Madison, Wisconsin. In high school, Kent accompanied his father to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago where his father served as a delegate. Kent attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and University of Maine-Bangor. He worked as a logger in Maine and briefly at an Ohio foundry before hitchhiking to Minneapolis in 1980. He worked at the Star and Tribune, earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota, and met his wife of 43 years, Mary Jo Robinson-Jamison. Kent became a veteran middle school science teacher. At the same time he pursued his avid interest in horse racing and bloodlines inherited from his father, while he continued coursework at the University. After a second bout with lymphoma and successful bone marrow transplant in 1999, Kent changed careers and worked for the State of Minnesota as a revenue specialist until his retirement over a decade ago. He enjoyed watching Gopher football, following sports and politics generally, reading, the movies, and all manner of music. Kent and Mary Jo resided in the same house on Warwick Street in St. Paul for 40 years where they raised two children, Ben and Andrea.

 Kent is preceded in death by both his parents and his brother, Van Jamison. He is survived by brothers, Scott and Craig Jamison; his wife, Mary Jo Robinson-Jamison; his son, Ben Jamison and fiancé Esther; his daughter Andrea Jamison; his son-in-law Antonio Morales; his four year old grandson, Liam Morales Jamison; as well as Andrea’s Costa Rican toy poodle of 16 years present at the hospital and able to say goodbye to the amazing man Kent was.