Elizabeth R. Kent, assistant to the senior tutor in Currier House, died of cancer May 14. She was in her 50s.

Deborah Foster, senior tutor in Currier House, praised her colleague yesterday.

"We came in together five years ago," Foster said. "She was an absolutely invaluable part of Currier House, and a tremendous co-worker with me."

Kent's responsibilities included coordinating letters of recommendation and transcripts for students in the house.

Although Kent suffered form cancer in the 1970s, doctors pronounced her cured more than a decade ago, and her death was sudden, Foster said.

"It was considered to have been taken care of 16 years ago," Foster said. "She wasn't sick until three weeks ago."

"She helped students enormously," Foster said. "She spent so many late nights getting letters of recommendations out."

Foster praised Kent's patience and calm demeanor, especially during the medical school application process.

"She was the linchpin. The tutors went through her. The doctors went through her," Foster said.

"She was kind of in the middle of it all, and she did it with good humor. She never lost her temper or her cool."

Elizabeth L. Kent '92-'94, a former Currier House resident, said that the late assistant to the senior tutor knew all the students in the house.

"She kept files on everybody and really helped the students," said Kent, who is not related to the deceased. "She was very good about being very accessible. She would bend over backwards to help. She never complained."

Foster said Kent's death is a personal loss, as well as a professional one.

"She was the most reliable, cheerful, helpful person I've had the privilege to know. We laughed a lot together," Foster said.

"I miss her unspeakably. She was very warm, very true. She was a beacon."

Kent, the former Currier resident, echoed Foster's sentiments.

"She was just an incredibly warm person. She always had a smile," Kent said. "She loved the house, and she loved the students."

Funeral services were held Wednesday, May 18.

Kent is survived by three children, two brothers and three sisters.