Bruce Roger Sents OBITUARY

Bruce Roger Sents OBITUARY

Bruce “Bud” Roger Sents died peacefully at his home in Glenview, Illinois, on Friday, September 25, 2026 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was 81. Bud was born June 14, 1945 in Blue Island, Illinois. He attended Chicago Christian College before transferring to the University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with honors in l968. He also earned his Illinois CPA that same year. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969, he served two years in Washington D.C. at the Pentagon. After discharge, he met his wife, Margaret Emmons, in 1971 at Friar Tuck’s on Broadway in Chicago. They married on September 24, 1972 and spent 54 wonderful years together. They first made their home in Chicago before moving to Evanston in l973, where they bought a home and later began to raise their family. He began his professional career with the accounting firm Touche Ross & Co., where he worked as a senior accountant and auditor. In 1975, he joined G.D.Searle & Co as manager of accounting research. Over the next two decades he held increasingly senior positions. Following Monsanto’s acquisition of Searle, Bud served in senior leadership roles at Monsanto in St. Louis, including senior vice president of finance and business development and corporate controller. He later returned to Searle as president of its Asia Pacific World Area where he led operations during a period of significant economic turmoil in the region. He oversaw acquisitions in Argentina and Brazil, changes to the Canadian product line and reorganizations of operations in Japan, Austrailia, China, Korea and Taiwan. He finished his career as Chief Financial Officer at Searle and retired in June 1999. Although Bud was highly successful in business, his interests and sense of purpose extended far beyond the corporate world. After retiring, he spent 15 years working as a volunteer project director for the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, helping parishes navigate restructuring and difficult decisions, including the closing and reorganization of schools and churches. He managed a major renovation project at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Evanston where he was an active parishioner. He also devoted his time to organizations involved in both local and international service, including Solidarity Bridge, Catholic Relief Services, Resurrection Project and the Evanston YMCA. He was on the board of the School of Hope in Kenya. Bud and Margaret were also actively involved in the Iraqi Student Project, an organization that assisted displaced Iraqi students to find housing and scholarship opportunities at American universities after the war in Iraq in 2003. For years, Bud and Margaret welcomed talented Iraqis to stay in their home while they were attending classes at universities in the Chicago area. Many of those students now work in medicine, finance, technology, education and the arts. Bud was also deeply connected to the arts. He began making pottery while serving in the Army,, where a fellow soldier with an MFA in ceramics from Stanford inspired him. After moving to Evanston, he became involved with the Evanston Art Center, working in its clay studio in the basement of the Clarke Mansion on Sheridan Road. When his career brought him to work for Monsanto in St. Louis, he volunteered with Craft Alliance, a local nonprofit art center there. When Bud returned to Illinois, he became actively involved in the arts community in Glenview, including the Glenview Art League, where he helped organize exhibits that gave local artists opportunities to display their work. In addition to organizing exhibits, Bud was a frequent exhibitor at local art shows. His bowls, platters, mugs and other ceramic art work – influenced by his travels and by artists like the Gees Bend quilt makers – were loved by many. He was actively involved in ceramics at Oakton Community College, where he was among the founding members of Empty Bowls, a pottery based fundraiser that continues to raise money to help local food pantries. Bud had many passions besides pottery. Music, fishing and the Chicago White Sox were among his favorites. He loved fly fishing and pursued challenging species like bone fish and muskies…always catch and release. Bud took great joy from passing on the fishing bug to his children and grandchildren. A south side Chicago kid, Bud was a lifelong White Sox fan, passing that on to his family as well. He approached music with the same curiosity and enthusiasm that characterized so much of his life.

Bud is survived by his beloved wife, Margaret, their children, John Sents and wife Patricia Ocampo Sents, Dan Sents and wife Daniella Salerno Sents and Mary Jean Sents, grandchildren David Sents, Gerardo Jarta Ocampo, Atlas Sents and William Sents, his sisters, Judith (Sents) Jansma and Carole (Sents) Philpott and many nieces, nephews and extended family members. Bud will be remembered for his curiosity, generosity, creativity, service to others, love of family, appreciation for art and music and his unmistakable sense of humor. He leaves behind a life that was much bigger than his career. It was a life filled with a genuine desire to make the world a little better for those around him. The family kindly asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the School of Hope Foundation for Kenya. Donations may be made at http://schoolofhopekenya.org/donate.

A memorial service will be held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 806 Ridge Ave., Evanston, Illinois on Monday, November 2nd. Friends and family are invited to gather for visitation starting at 10 am. Mass begins at 11 am. A reception with lunch will be held afterwards at Maggiano’s in Skokie.