John Kent Folsom, Jr.

John Kent Folsom, Jr.
August 16, 1952 - January 31, 2026

John Kent Folsom, Jr. passed away at his home on January 31, 2026 in Palm Bay, Florida at the age of 73. A lifelong bachelor, John is survived by his sisters: Lynn Garland, currently of Massachusetts; Julie Spitzer, currently of Burnsville, North Carolina; nephew Matt Spitzer currently of New Jersey and niece Becky Spitzer, currently of South Carolina.

John was born to John Kent Folsom and Marilyn Wolfe Folsom in Tallahassee, Florida on August 16, 1952. He graduated from Florida High School in 1968. In junior high school John began to experience a series of retina detachments that left him legally blind. Despite this challenge, he completed a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Florida. Following graduation he was hired by the Harris Company in Melbourne Florida where he specialized in digital circuit design. John worked there until his retirement in 2002.

 John always found ways to engage in activities he loved despite his visual limitation He taught himself to play the flute. Although he couldn’t read music, he played by ear. John enjoyed playing along with music on records and then the radio, improvising accompaniments. He brought his flute with him to family gatherings and everyone enjoyed listening to him play. Early in his adult life John enjoyed sailing his small sunfish sailboat in the waters around Palm Bay. Another hobby was scuba diving and taking underwater photographs.

One of John’s great passions and pleasure was collecting and restoring early US television sets and spending time with other collectors. He had a vast knowledge of early TVs, and had an outstanding collection that was well known among other collectors. John thoroughly enjoyed attending the Early Television Foundation conventions in Ohio and finding opportunities to share his knowledge with others. John developed close friendships with other collectors that remained strong over the years. Larry Laney and Wayne Abare live locally and Bob Galanter lives in Wisconsin. He greatly valued their friendship and their support as he began to experience more health challenges. 

John also greatly enjoyed family gatherings, large and small. He will be missed by his family and friends. 

There will be a private family gathering later in the year to celebrate John’s life.