Obituary of Grace Bentley

Grace Van Tuyl Bentley died at age 99 on October 23, 2019. Grace Bentley was born in the Bronx on October 24, 1919. She spent childhood in Landsdowne, Pennsylvania and White Plains, New York. She and her future husband, F. Russell "Russ" Bentley, were both students at Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio, but they first met after a worship service at the First Baptist Church in White Plains, New York. Grace graduated from Oberlin in 1941, and she and Russ were married shortly thereafter. While Russ was serving in the Army in North Africa and Italy between 1942 and 1944, Grace worked for the Department of Defense and then the Office of Price Administration in Washington, D.C. After the War, she and Russ lived in Harrison, New York, where she devoted herself to sewing, cooking, gardening, and raising three children. In 1959, Russ purchased the F.D. Smith Hardware store (later, Bentley's True Value Hardware), and the family moved to Cortland. Beginning in 1959, Grace worked in the store as assistant manager, bookkeeper and salesclerk, continuing in those roles for 38 years. After the business closed in 1997, she assisted Russ in managing their rental properties for another decade. In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her husband, F. Russell Bentley. Grace was a faithful member of United Presbyterian Church of Cortland, a long-serving member of the board of the Cortland Free Library, a golfer, and a devoted wife. She is survived by their children, Allen Bentley (Judy) of Seattle, Washington, Priscilla Godfrey (Dennis) of Philomont, Virginia and Douglas Bentley (Conni) of Cortland, eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren. A Memorial Service will be held at the United Presbyterian Church of Cortland on Saturday November 9, 2019 at 2pm. Calling hours will be Friday November 8, 2019 at the Wright-Beard Funeral Home Inc., from 6 to 8pm. Those wishing to make memorial contributions are asked to consider a donation to the Cortland Free Library. To offer online condolences, please visit www.wright-beard.cocm