| Notes |
- Haskell Journal Vol. XXV, Issue 80, page 24-26
Anderton Lewis "Pete" Bentley, Jr.
(HFA Member #729)
On March 20, 2009, Carol Bentley sent the following note, "I sadly report that Mr. Bentley died July 7, 2008, in a boat accident at Toledo, Ohio. One granddaughter is named Phoebe Haskell Thorne so the name goes on."
The following account was pieced together with items from the Toledo Blade website (www.toledoblade.com) and from several items published by the Toledo Rowing Club and available at the website (www.toledorowing.org).
Perhaps Pete should have been included in the last issue's "sports" section since he was a champion rower. He died during a rowing workout on the Maumee River. "From his first days of rowing at Yale University in 1947, he was later, selected in 1952 to participate in Helsinki, Finland Olympics for the U.S. rowing team as a 'spare' rower, and finally he brought home the Gold Medal at the World Masters Championships in Zagreb, Croatia in September 2007. Pete devoted his life to the sport of rowing." He was just shy of 79 years when he won his gold medal. He was the Toledo Rowing Club's oldest member.
The United States National Masters Championship Rowing Regatta was held at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee venue at Melton Hill Lake on the Clinch River August 8-12, 2007. Mr. Bentley competed in three events in very hot and humid conditions, winning gold medals in the Double Sculls, Quadruple Sculls and Four Oars with Coxswain events in the Heavy Men's J Group.
The Worlds Masters Championship Regatta was held at Zagreb, Croatia on the Jarun Rowing Stadium venue September 4-9, 2007. Competitors represent their countries and only the Gold Medal is awarded (no silver or bronze medals for 2nd or 3rd place), hence the slogan "get the gold or go home." 2910 Athletes from 39 countries competed in 7 boat categories. Mr. Bentley (age 79) represented the United States in two categories winning the Gold Medal in the I-J Quadruple Sculls event to a standing ovation. (See http://www.toledorowing.org/)
He was the executive vice president and chief engineer of A. Bentley & Sons Co. in 1982, at the time of its voluntary liquidation. He was a past president of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers and the Toledo chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Born in October 1928, as Anderton Lewis Bentley, Jr., he was one of three sons of Anderton L. Bentley, Sr., and Hilda Bentley. His great-grandfather, Anderton Bentley, came to America from Yorkshire, England, and in 1887 founded what became A. Bentley & Sons. The engineering and general contracting firm built many of Toledo's most prominent factories, office buildings, and bridges, including the Spitzer and Gardner buildings, the first Edward Ford Glass Co. plant, and St. Paul's Methodist Church. It also completed work on Toledo's first skyscraper, the 17-story Nicholas Building that, until recently, housed Fifth Third Bank's local offices.
Mr. Bentley in 1953 received a master's degree in structural engineering from the University of Michigan, and that same year married. Mr. Bentley began as a survey engineer in the family business, rising to the jobs of supervisor and superintendent. He developed a specialty in deep-foundation engineering, his wife said, and worked on various bridge and power plant projects.
Pete was a member for over 35 years of Toledo Rotary, he was on the Toledo Museum of Art's Building & Grounds Committee, The Toledo Hospital Grosh Committee, The Toledo Rowing Foundation, Torch Club, Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineering, the Awards Committee of the Ohio Assoc. of General Contractors of America and a member of the Society of Colonial Wars. Pete was also a member of Carranor Hunt & Polo Club and The Toledo Country Club. He enjoyed funding the Ft. Meigs lecture series in memory of Christopher Perkey, his ancestor who fought in the Battle of Ft. Meigs in 1813.
Mr. Bentley was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Lawrence C. Bentley. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife Carol, his children, Katherine B. MacPherson (Scot), Perrysburg, Anderton Lewis Bentley III (Deborah Palmer), Hopkinton, MA and Pamela B. Thorne (Guyton), Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, grandchildren Sarah Bentley, Phoebe Thorne, Grant MacPherson and Hannah Thorne. He is also survived by his brother, Thomas N. Bentley (Gill), Perrysburg and many friends of all ages.
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1928 - 2008 (79 years)
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