Eric Jent

Eric’s family is incredibly saddened by his sudden passing but couldn’t be more thankful for the time they had with an incredible husband, father, friend, brother, and Pop-Pop.

Eric, born in Detroit, was raised in Sparta, NJ where he moved in 1975 with his parents, Patricia, and Arnold, and 2 brothers, Tim, and Chris (later joined by his younger sister, Meghan). Eric was a vibrant part of the Sparta community from a young age. He was a standout varsity athlete in 3 sports including football, baseball, and his favorite, basketball. On paper, Eric might appear as a typical athlete, but his spirit was much more special than one descriptor. His uniqueness spanned as a passionate fan of music, life of the party, loyal friend, brother, and curious student. His athletic talents brought him numerous accolades and a basketball scholarship to Colgate University after graduating Sparta High School in 1984. But if you were to ask him his greatest achievement in high school, it was meeting and ultimately starting a family with his wife and best friend, Tracy.

Basketball brought Eric to Colgate University, but his time spent there proved to be some of his most formative years. He wore an impressive number of hats at Colgate as a student-athlete, co-captain of the Colgate Men’s Basketball team, fraternity brother, husband (after marrying the love of his life Tracy his junior year), and lastly a father after welcoming his twin daughters Courtney and Elizabeth. He closed out his time at Colgate accepting his diploma with twin daughters in hand and a standing ovation from the graduation crowd.

Eric applied the same focus, positivity, and energy to his next steps in life, building both his career and family. He was lucky enough to find a career that he was passionate about in the mattress and furniture industry. Starting with Simmons in 1988, Eric built a reputation as one of the most respected in his field and admired for his positivity, trustworthiness, and leadership. His most recent position as the Chief Commercial Officer at Sinomax USA was the culmination of his years of hard work. The self-proclaimed “King of Mattresses” will be dearly missed by his vast network of colleagues, including his son Mitchell and daughter Elizabeth that he mentored into the industry years ago.

In 2001, Eric was lucky enough to return to hometown of Sparta, NJ to raise his growing family that now included his son Mitchell and daughter Maggie. His passion for sports evolved into a passion for coaching. He loved coaching all his children’s teams and his coaching is notorious across generations of Sussex County referees.

Eric loved many things in life, but his favorite times were spent vacationing with Tracy and his extended family and friends in Wellfleet, MA. It was a tradition that started with his siblings growing up that he continued with his own family. He was excited for the Summers to come, sharing this special place with his first grandchild, Theo, who he loved so much.

It’s hard to articulate who Eric was in so little words but he will be deeply missed by everyone that loved him. He is survived by his loving wife Tracy (Place) Jent; children Courtney Soloperto (Andrew), Elizabeth Jent, Mitchell Jent, and Margaret Jent; mother Patricia Jent; brothers Timothy Jent (Mihwa), Christopher Jent (Alice); sister Meghan Stampfle (Mark); grandson Theo Soloperto, and brother-in-law John Place (Sharon). Eric was predeceased by his father, Arnold Jent.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 11AM - 2PM at Goble Funeral Home, 22 Main Street, Sparta, NJ 07871. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at 2:30-4:30pm at Lake Mohawk Golf Club, 471 West Shore Trail, Sparta, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Eric’s memory to Dream Big!, a non-profit organization helping girls and young women from low-income situations participate in sports and physical activities. A dear friend of the Jent family founded this organization and Eric admired the work that she and Dream Big have done in the women’s sports community.

Donation link: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/1436189