AEDC's Sheila Trent remembered

  • Published
  • By Patrick Ary
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Lynn Armer spent almost 20 years working at AEDC with Sheila Trent, but they became more than coworkers.

Their work friendship grew from sharing different foods in the office that they made at home to going out together to pick out family dogs. Armer's sons helped out at the Trent family's farm, baling and putting up hay for horses. They attended horse shows together.

Armer, like many others at AEDC, knows Trent won't be easy to replace.

"She was a hard worker," Armer said. "We had fun, but she got work done. Her work came first, and she always did a great job. She got it done right the first time."

Trent, a Manchester resident who worked as an administrative assistant in AEDC's Test Systems Division, passed away June 19 at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. She was 62 years old.

The people who worked with Trent in different locations at the center over the years all echoed the same sentiments about her shining attitude and dedication to getting the job done.

AEDC Energy Manager Bob Cerny, who was friends with Trent for 12 years, said she was a pleasant person who could boost emotions and morale. Even after he moved out of the office, he would stop by to talk with her.

Despite her pleasant demeanor, when it came to work Trent had a reputation for being all-business and letting people know how she felt in a straight but professional manner.

"She wasn't afraid to voice her opinion - even to the upper management - of what needed to be done," Cerny said. "And professionally, she didn't want us to miss any suspenses and was on top of what was required to do the job."

Ron Polce is one of those people Trent kept on top of the mission. Polce, the head of the Test Systems Division until retiring last September, worked directly with Trent as his administrative assistant for six years. He said her attitude of cutting through everything else and getting the job done was something he needed.

"We engineers and scientists, we think we know what we're doing," Polce said. "But the real backbone is the administrative core, and Sheila was absolutely one of the best. Otherwise, we're running in circles."

Trent, who never missed work, was known for her attitude of getting the job done but having fun while doing it. She knew how to greet and help the people who stepped into her office. And she not only made sure everyone working with her focused on completing their tasks; Polce said Trent made sure new employees - whether they were a member of the military or a new engineer - learned the ropes quickly and got up to speed soon after they came in.

She did all of this without ever wanting to accept any of the credit for a job well done.

"She just did not want any part of that," Polce said. "She was so humble and gracious and never wanted any part of the limelight."

On a personal level, Trent's work area was full of pictures of her children and grandchildren - or as she referred to them, her "babies." She talked about her family and pets all the time, according to Polce. And she didn't stop bringing in food when she and Armer went to work in different divisions.

"She was famous for her fruit bowl cake," Polce said. "It was coveted by all. She did that quite regularly, along with casseroles and brownies. She was at the front of the line when it came to bringing in treats like that."

And she was quick to volunteer in planning for office events, determined to make them all - including Polce's retirement - a memorable occasion.

"She was the behind the scenes person for all of our events," he said. "She was quick to step in and say 'I'll do that,' and then making the arrangements and making it special."

Terry Tucker, a management analyst in AEDC's manpower office, first met Trent in 1989. They worked in the technology division at the time and remained friends after moving to other offices. Tucker said whenever she would go on vacation or a work-related trip, she brought back a magnet for Trent.

"She thought that was the coolest thing," Tucker said.

Tucker said she will remember those moments together as well as her admirable attention to detail on the job and ability to keep people on track and focused on their work.

"I think it's a big impact," Tucker said of the loss. "This happening, it shocked all of us, and I think there's going to be a huge hole. No one can fill her shoes. She will be greatly missed."

Polce said it will be hard to fill the void left by Sheila Trent - both at AEDC and in the community.

"Sheila was an organizer and team builder, an overall people person and a friend to all," Polce said. "She just knew how to get things done."

Trent is survived by her husband, Jack Trent of Manchester, son, Jason Trent of Franklin, Tenn., two daughters, Jennifer Hicks of Suwannee, Ga., Jessica Daley of Boise, Id., and 11 grandchildren.

The family requests that donations be made to the Coffee County Humane Society, P.O. Box 252, Manchester, Tenn., 37349.