Kenneth Jerold Bentley

 On February 3, 2025, Kenneth Jerold Bentley passed away peacefully at Creekside Assisted Living in Bountiful, Utah, at the age of 85. He lived a vibrant and active life, filled with family, friends, good food, hard work, and travel. Ken always had a great sense of humor, known for his ready laugh and a twinkle in his eye. He had a tender heart, and we all knew him to tear up easily, especially when watching a touching movie or listening to a beautiful song.

 Ken was born on March 30, 1939, to Anthony Ivins and Ella Farnsworth Bentley in Colonia Juarez, Mexico. Toney was on a teaching sabbatical in Mexico while Ella was staying back in Arizona, so it’s only by chance that little Ken (or Jerry, which was his childhood nickname) decided to be born while Ella was visiting Toney. This gained him Mexican citizenship and may be the reason he and Sharlene so easily fell in love with Cabo San Lucas and vacationed there every year in their later adult lives. 

Ken spent his childhood in Mesa, Arizona, getting into trouble with his older brother Toney by sneaking around the Mesa LDS Temple grounds and even swimming in the reflection pool. Later, the family moved to Logan, Utah, and then to Provo, Utah, where his father taught religion at Brigham Young University and his mother became a local treasure for piano teaching and performances. Ken loved music as well, and he was a great singer as well as trumpet player. He graduated from Brigham Young Academy high school and attended Brigham Young University right after. It was at BYU that he met Sharlene Parduhn through the Viking social club on campus. He always said he knew right away he wanted to marry her, impressed by her beauty and friendliness. He was a little shy, however, and convinced a friend to ask Sharlene out for him.

 Ken and Sharlene were married on June 4, 1959, in the Salt Lake temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ken graduated with a BS in Physics in 1961 and was recruited by IBM to work in their Salt Lake office. This started a long career and many adventures for the Bentley family, as IBM preferred to move them around every 3-4 years. While Sharlene and Ken raised their five children (Kevin, Laurie, Bob, Becky, and Elisa), IBM was moving Ken and the family to Seattle, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, France, and Connecticut. Ken decided to leave IBM at that time and took a job with Bonneville Telecommunications in Salt Lake. But it didn’t end there; with other job opportunities they moved to the Bay Area, Washington DC, and finally back to Salt Lake where they finished out their years. Before retiring, his final occupation was president and CEO of Ameritech Nursing School in South Jordan, Utah. 

When Sharlene passed away in 2018, Ken soon met and married Judy Dana. They moved to Sandy together. Judy passed away after only two years of marriage after a battle with cancer. Shortly thereafter, Ken moved to downtown Salt Lake, where he loved going on long walks through the city and attending concerts, church events, and museums. 

Ken is survived by his five children, 17 living grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by five of his six siblings: Marilyn, Toney, Eleanor, Margie, and Ron. His sister Judy passed away in May of 2023. 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday February 22, 2025 at 11am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 1298 North 400 West in Centerville, Utah. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family asks that you take your own loved ones out to eat to enjoy good food and lots of laughter together—two of Ken's very favorite things.