Edward Bentley

Ed passed away unexpectedly on September 29th, 2022 in Yuma, AZ at 64 years of age. He was born at the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. His family moved to Key West soon after, where he spent his earliest years. From Key West it was on to Washington DC. He graduated from Christchurch High School in Virginia.

After high school Ed entered the Marine Corps and worked as an airplane mechanic on many different models, mostly rotary aircraft. He was assigned as a Crew Chief to HMX-1, the Presidential Helicopter squadron, where he worked under President Reagan and Carter, with trips to Camp David, Plains, Georgia, and even a month in Rome. Later he was deployed during Grenada and Desert Storm and spent lots of time on carriers. Some of his travels took him to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, Guam, Alaska, the Caribbean, many parts of Europe, Lebanon and Israel.

In 1992, by a happy accident, Ed met Jan on his one day off while on temporary duty in Yuma, just before being deployed for 7 months to Okinawa. The following year, after many letters and calls, he and Jan married on November 26, 1993. Ed’s job took him all over the world, but he would return to Yuma at every possible chance. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2002, after 21 years, and worked at Yuma Proving Ground at the Airfield for the next 10 years.

Ed was a devoted husband, and loved his DIY projects and gardening. He enjoyed sharing his gardening knowledge working part-time for awhile at Home Depot’s Garden Department. He also loved hiking and biking and being out in nature. He enjoyed working on old cars and was working on restorations of his beloved Triumphs, a GT6 and a Spitfire.

Ed was a true dog lover, volunteered at the Humane Society for a time, and enjoyed training his new puppy, Lily. He has also been an important part of Jan’s pottery business, always willing to lend a hand wherever it was needed. He was a true partner, teammate, and best friend. Ed often talked about how lucky he felt to have experienced all the things he had, and to have travelled all over the world, through his work, with Jan and with his family.

He is predeceased by parents Chaplain Philip Bentley, Ethel Joy Bentley, and stepmother Norma Bentley.

Ed is survived by his loving wife Jan, to whom he was married for 28 years, his beloved daughter Catherine Gilmore, son-in-law Joseph, and his beautiful granddaughters: River, Ember, Rowenna and Sora. He also leaves his sisters, Carol (Scott) and Cynthia, stepsisters Laura (John), Sally (Gary), and Sue (Jody) and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested in Ed’s memory to Guiding Eyes for The Blind, a charity that trains and gives guide dogs to the blind. (https://www.guidingeyes.org)

“Do not cry because it is over; smile because it happened”.