John Bentley

John Bentley, 93, of Marshall, died on April 14, at Tendercare of Marshall. John was born on February 20, 1918 and was the son of Jerome C. Bentley, a Marshall grocer, and Edna (Lusk) Bentley, a country school teacher and homemaker. A native of Marshall and a graduate of Marshall High School, John met his future wife, Barbara Weeks, of Albion, while he was working in the Calhoun County Clerk's office. They married in December 1942 and were joined at the hip until her death in 1997. They had one son, J. Geoffrey Bentley, who resides in Herndon, Virginia. John had three grand-daughters, Lisa, Jennifer and Stephanie, who also reside in Herndon. He has a surviving sister, Sara L. ("Sally") Bentley, of Marshall, two older siblings, Richard Bentley and Barbara Crabtree, having passed away before him. John enlisted in the Navy in 1942, and at the time he and Barbara were married, was stationed in South Bend, Indiana. Later he was shipped overseas, where he was the senior non-commissioned officer on an LCT (Landing Craft - Tank), and saw combat in the invasion of the Philippines. The LCT that was beside John's craft in the formation was struck by enemy fire and sunk, and John dove into the water in an unsuccessful effort to rescue sailors on that vessel. In that action, he was wounded by shrapnel, causing a temporary loss of vision in one eye. He was awarded the Purple Heart. Ironically, after recovering his vision, he developed a cataract in the other eye that was attributed to the glare of the hot Pacific sun off the ocean. He returned to the U.S. Naval Hospital at Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, and was discharged in 1946 as a Chief Petty Officer. After the war, John was reluctant to talk about his combat experience, except for stories about Benny, the ship's cook, who suffered from seasickness and frequently needed to be relieved in the ship's kitchen. John's stories were a hallmark of his personality. He was a raconteur of Marshall history, with stories about the town and about rural life growing up at Ellis Corner, where his father owned a country store for a time. John knew every historic home in Marshall because, he said, he had delivered groceries to almost all of them. Also characteristic was his irrepressible sense of humor, equally to entertain those around him and to put them at ease with a funny remark. After being discharged from the Navy, John completed a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration at the University of Michigan and accepted the position of City Clerk in Albion in 1950, a post which he held until 1959. While in Albion, John was a member of the Exchange Club, serving as president during the time when the club and other Albion civic groups raised money to building the Ice Skating Shelter at Reiger Park. He was also treasurer of First Methodist Church in Albion at the time the congregation built the educational and administrative wing and Fellowship Hall that are attached to Goodrich Chapel at Albion College. While living in Albion, John began work on a master's degree in Public Administration, which he continued after becoming Field Representative of the Michigan Municipal League in Ann Arbor. He received his M.P.A. from the U of M in 1966. He had been appointed City Clerk for the City of Ann Arbor in 1965, and later served as City Treasurer and, finally, City Comptroller, retiring from that position in 1980. Following his retirement, John and his wife were active in the Glacier Way United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor. John moved back to Marshall in 2001, to be closer to his sister, Sally. A memorial service at the United Methodist Church of Marshall will be scheduled at a later date. Interment at Riverside Cemetery in Albion will also be scheduled at a later date. Friends who wish may make contributions to the Chelsea Retirement Community. Assistance is available at the Craig K. Kempf Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 723 US 27 North, Marshall. To sign the on line guest register and leave a message for the family visit www.kempffuneral home.com.