Bent Laur Jensen

Bent Laur Jensen, 87, of Anacortes, formerly of Oak Harbor, passed away on Friday, Jan. 22, 2016, in Anacortes.

Bent was born on Nov. 16, 1928, in Copenhagen, Denmark, the son of Lauritz and Else (Larson) Jensen. He is survived by his wife Inger, who has been married to him for over 60 years, and his sister and niece in Denmark.

As a youth, Bent endured the occupation of Denmark during World War II. He learned whittling and carving during the blackouts Copenhagen experienced. Bent also developed the skills required to remove batteries at night, without being detected from the vehicles of the forces occupying his country. After completing public school, he joined the Danish military and brought a high honor to his family by being selected to serve in the Danish Royal Guard. It was during this time that Bent met and dated Inger, whom he later married. After finishing his service in the Royal Guard, with 100 dollars in his pocket, he immigrated to the United States where Bent was employed by Boeing. He was involved in the interior design of the new passenger planes. Soon after Bent had saved up enough money, he sent for his sweetheart, Inger, and on Sept. 30, 1955, they were married. Their next move was to Pullman, where Bent enrolled at Washington State College and earned a degree in landscape architecture. Upon graduation, in their green Nash Rambler, they moved to Wenatchee where Bent worked for the forest service. In 1971, it was back to Pullman, where he worked at the City of Pullman as the first full time city planner. In 1977, Bent and Inger moved to Oak Harbor, where he became their city planner until his retirement in 1991. Al Koetje, the former mayor of Oak Harbor, said of Bent: “He has provided tremendous insight to the city council regarding steps necessary to plan for the future. He has provided leadership and direction to the planning commission as they prepare updates to the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and make recommendations to the city council regarding various land use issues. He has worked closely with the county in the establishment of an urban growth area adjacent to the corporate limits of Oak Harbor.” Bent was very involved in Oak Harbor, planting all the trees along the highway in the city limits of Oak Harbor by himself, and was a key player in the planning of Ramaley Park.

Bent and Inger enjoyed tent camping and spent many nights near Lake Wallowa and in the Wallowa Mountain wilderness near Joseph in northeast Oregon. He was an expert wood carver (small hand tools only) and had a special interest in carving items consistent with the style of the Northwest Indians. One of his favorite adventures was the boat trip he and Inger took to Alaska via the Inland Passage. Bent was a naturalized U.S. citizen and was very proud to live in the United States. Bent conducted his life with dignity and had a unique sense of humor. Memorials in Bent’s name may be made to: John E. Hoffman Memorial Scholarship Fund, PO Box 641925, Pullman, WA, 99164-1925 and to the Virginia Mason Cancer Care, Mailstop DI-MF, PO Box 1930, Seattle, WA 98111. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., Anacortes, WA and the San Juan Islands. To share memories of Bent please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com