Gordon Bentley, age 92 passed away January 25, 2019 at Royal Oaks Nursing Home in Dade City, Florida. He was born December 16, 1926 at Mercy Hospital in Oelwein the son of Earl and Helen (Lacy) Bentley. Gordon attended and graduated from Fairbank High School, Class of 1944. After graduation, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. Gordon was stationed in Japan and was trained as a tank mechanic. However, when he arrived there were no tanks to work on, so he remained in the motor pool during his deployment there. When he returned from the Army, he began working at the Chevrolet dealership that his dad founded the year he was born. During that time with the war going on they were only allowed 1 1/2 cars per month. With only a few new cars to sell, Gordon improvised by reconditioning and selling used cars. He was actually selling more used cars than his dad was selling new ones, so one day his dad told him he should just buy the place. So in the late 1950’s, Gordon bought the dealership from his dad. On October 13, 1955, Gordon married Patricia Joerger at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Fairbank. Together they owned and operated Bentley Chevrolet until 1986. Gordon and Patty always spent at least 2 weeks in Florida every winter to attend the Daytona 500. In 1986, they started spending 5 months each year in Florida where he continued to sell used cars until 2018. Gordon’s love for racing began after returning home from the Army. He would go to Daytona Beach to watch stock car racing back when they were still racing on the sand. Gordon also enjoyed building and racing stock cars in Iowa and was quite good at it. Until one night, his mother told him he couldn’t drive anymore. That didn’t stop Gordon from continuing to build and own race cars through 1963. Gordon passed his love for racing down to his children. All three of them started out racing quarter midgets and eventually the number 35 was on two stock cars driven by his sons, David and Duane. Gordon is survived by his wife of 63 years, Patty of Dade City, two sons; David and Duane both of Fairbank, one daughter, Mary (Joe) College of Earlham, Iowa, 8 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, two sisters-in-law; Mary Lou Fink of Fairbank and Betty Sturm of Estelline, SD and one brother-in-law; Charles (Cleo) Joerger of Fairbank. Gordon was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, Mary Jo and her husband Arnold Coffin, two brothers-in-law; Darwin Fink and Bill Sturm and one granddaughter, Lou Ann Bentley.
Services: 10:30 am Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Fairbank.
Rosary and Visitation: Parish Rosary at 3:45 pm with visitation to follow from 4:00-7:00 pm Friday, February 1, 2019 at Woods Funeral Home, Fairbank.
Military Rites: Fairbank American Legion Fortsch-Duffy Post 552.
Interment: Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery, Fairbank.
Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation.
Condolences for Gordon Albert Bentley
To Gordon’s Family, In my mind Gordon was a legend in his own time. I bought my first car from him in June of 1969. He was probably happy he made a sale, but I was 100 times happier than him to have the 1968 Rally Sport Camaro. What a guy, what a car. Hopefully he has already sold St. Peter a Car. He is in my prayers.
We are thinking of the entire Bentley family and remembering Gordon with a smile of gratitude. May God’s healing presence surround you with peace and wonderful memories of this special man. Our sympathy and love to you all~~Ob and Dyette
My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.-Clarence Budington Kelland End of an era…Our deepest sympathies to the entire Bentley family. Kathy (Weber, Clark) Shook
Extending our sympathy to Gordon’s family. We purchased several Chevrolets from Gordon back in the 1950-1960 era. Gordon was a fair and honorable gentleman to do business with. Prayers for all.
Patty, Dave, Duane, Mary and families, Gordon has put a mark in Fairbank history. He will be greatly missed by all. God bless your families in this time of sorrow.
So sorry for your loss! Thoughts and prayers for Gordon and his family!
Our deepest sympathy to Patty and family on Gordon’s passing. May the love of Christ give you strength at this time as you are surrounded by your loved ones and friends. R.I.P. Gordon. We’ll always remember the Friday night dinners with the Fort Dade gang.
Sincerely,
Marilyn and Linda Pierce (Carol Brown’s sisters)
I’m so sorry for your loss. Jennifer (Bell) Williams
RIP, Gordon. You and the Bentley name has been a fixture in Fairbank for a lot of years. We’re going to miss you!
The Brandts, especially.
At least a couple of my brothers worked for Bentley Chevrolet during their school years. I provided childcare for you and Patty’s children countless evenings and weekends in the ‘60s–and me and my family attended a lot of Sunday evening car races in Waterloo, watching Bill Zwanziger drive car #55! Bentley’s sponsored me in ’66 when I was a candidate in the Valentine’s Day Ball in Independence.
When I wrote Gangster in our Midst (2017)—the book about the sixty years Fairbank inhabited one of Al Capone’s gangsters, Louie La Cava–I tried to include some of your family’s history. I didn’t mention you—but I did your father, Earl:
“Earl Bentley or Claire Rechkemmer are the guys to talk to if you’re in need of a car. I hear they might have sold one Chevy since the depression began, or maybe there were six cars sold in the whole county; I can’t recall just now. If you’re gonna be in town for a while, Earl will probably try to recruit you into joinin’ the fire department… He’s real civic minded,” she said.
Betty Brandt passick, bbpassickauthor@comcast.net
Condolences to the Bentley family since the passing of Gordon. His name was familiar from the local racing circuit & my father Robert knew him. When I decided to buy a new car in 1977, Gordon ordered a ‘77 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for me. We had always been a loyal Chevy family so when we all came home for holidays to the farm in Dysart there was pretty much a yard full of these big engine cars! I’m blessed to read that Gordon enjoyed a successful life with a lovely family, prosperous business & his hobby of racing that led him to Florida to enjoy retirement. May each of your hearts be filled with his love and your minds with fond memories of him. God bless you mightily.