Kent Valandra is known to the world as the brother of the American television icon and game show legend, Bob Barker. Bob’s charismatic presence and distinctive voice left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry.
Kent Valandra’s Family
Kent Valandra & the famous Bob Barker are step brothers. Their mother, Matilda (“Tillie”) Valandra (née Matilda Kent Tarleton), was a school teacher. Matilda married Byron John Barker, the foreman on the electrical high line through the state of Washington. Robert William Barker, popularly known as Bob Barker was born on December 12, 1923 in Darrington, Washington, U.S. Bob was 6 years old when his father, John, fell from a tower, while on the job, resulting in a critical injury followed by his death in 1930.Bob’s mother, Matilda, remarried Louis Valandra in 1931. Kent was born on July 16, 1938 in Springfield, United States.
Bob attended the grade school on the Rosebud Reservation where his mother was a teacher. He met Dorothy Jo Gideon, at an Ella Fitzgerald concert while he was attending high school in Missouri; they began dating when he was 15. He attended Drury in Springfield, on a basketball athletic scholarship. He joined the United States Navy Reserve in 1943 during World War II to train as a fighter pilot, but did not serve on active duty. On January 12, 1945, while on leave from the military, he married his childhood sweetheart.
Kent married Lorraine Mazza, on December 19, 1966 and had 3 children: Robert, Victoria, Kent Junior. On October 19, 1981, Dorothy died fighting lung cancer. After the death of his beloved wife, Bob never remarried. Bob died from natural causes at his home in the Hollywood Hills on August 26, 2023, at the age of 99. He was interred alongside his wife at Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills.
Kent Valandra’s Net Worth
Despite being associated with a celebrated personality, Kent Valandra has lived a low-key life and there are no details available on the internet about his occupation, lifestyle and net worth. His brother Bob Barker was a legendary American TV game show host and animal activist and had a net worth of more than $70 million.
Bob hosted numerous game shows throughout his career but the legendary television personality, primarily gained fame as the host of the longest-running game show ‘The Price Is Right.’ His engaging style, warmth, and ability to connect with contestants endeared him to audiences across the nation.
Bob had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, received the 1995 Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award, and was named the Greatest Game Show Host of All-Time by Time magazine. He was also named as TV’s Most Durable Performer twice by the Guinness World Records. His autobiography, “Priceless Memories,” was published on April 6, 2009. “Bob Barker Studio” at CBS Television City was named in his honor.
