Attorney's dedication recalled

Kent Nord was the ultimate child advocate who knew how to laugh and helped others, friends mourning his death recalled Wednesday. Nord, 47, of Bloomville, died at 10:33 p.m. Tuesday at Mercy Tiffin Hospital’s emergency room following an accident in a trench at his home. He struck an electrical wire while digging a trench for a downspout. It was almost exactly 24 years since his father, an Ohio Power Co. employee, died in an accident involving electricity. Oscar Nord, 55, died June 24, 1991. He came into contact with live electric lines, according to an article in The Advertiser-Tribune. “Kent Nord was a fine young attorney, a real gentleman, a man of his word. He will be very much missed,” said Judge Steve Shuff of Seneca County Common Pleas Court. Magistrate Erica Gordon from Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael Kelbley’s courtroom said it was hard to believe she was not going to see Nord at all. He was everything a magistrate wants in an attorney who appears before him or her, she said. “He was always very respectful, prepared and willing to do anything that the court asked,” she said. Gordon said she had known Nord since 2007 and first met him when they worked in juvenile court. “Kent was a consummate professional,” she said. Nord was active in gun rights advocacy and was a lifetime member of National Rifle Association. John Weslow, who has the same credentials, said Nord would not give a quick answer but would give the right answer. “Kent was a great guy. Kent knew how to laugh, and I’m a guy that just loves to laugh,” he said. Fellow attorney and firearms instructor Dean Henry said firearms training and advocacy was Nord’s passion. Also, Nord had a passion for children and making sure they were taken care of in the justice system. Henry said Nord was one of the best guardian ad litems with whom he ever has worked. “His reports were always very good, very comprehensive. He did his homework. He had a common sense approach to custody issues,” he said. Henry said Nord loved his daughter and lit up every time he talked about her. He was happy for her and proud she had graduated from school, was growing into an adult and ultimately was going to have a husband and presumably children, he said. “He was very proud, very happy about his daughter and her recent marriage,” he said. Paul Wise, who owned Locked-n-Loaded, which offers concealed carry courses, with Nord, described Nord as a brother and kindred soul. “Him and I always thought alike,” he said. Wise said he thought Nord probably was one of the most honest men he ever has known, and he always could count on him. “The man traveled all over the place to help people out,” he said. Judy Reiter, a former director of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Seneca, Sandusky and Wyandot counties, said Nord had several roles in the agency. He served on the Ohio CASA board and on several committees. He came up with the idea for a Corvette fundraiser, and he and his family went out to locations every weekend to sell tickets, especially in the summer, she said. “Kent basically ran it for two years,” she said. Reiter said Nord had a special place in the agency’s heart before the fundraiser. It raised about $35,000 per year, “which we needed desperately,” she said. Reiter said Nord was the ultimate child advocate, intelligent and a great attorney. “I loved him like a son. He was just wonderful,” she said. Judge Jay Meyer of Seneca County Juvenile and Probate Court, who has known Nord for about 20 years, said the court as a whole was shocked and stunned by the sudden passing of a great friend and colleague. He said Nord was a tireless advocate for at-risk youths and families in Seneca County, and his death is a huge loss for the community. Meyer said Nord served as a court-appointed attorney for children and was a guardian ad litem in the court. He also represented parents in abuse, neglect and dependency cases, he said. “Kent was always there for us,” he said. Nord, a Tiffin native who was married to Dawn, was Mormon and shared his views on the website for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He explained their son died from complications at birth Oct. 25, 2008. “He was only on this earth for one day and was able to accomplish his only goal – to receive his body. Our family was able to accept the life and death of our son, because of our knowledge of the Plan of Happiness,” he wrote. Nord explained his faith was his life. “My faith cannot be separated from every act, decision, or step I take,” he wrote. “As a family, we support and guide each other so that we can make those choices which will keep us on the path to our goals.”