Bentley McBentleson

Bentley McBentleson Bentley passed away on April 2, 2023 at the age of 39 while traveling from Kentucky to New York. He was born on November 23, 1983 as Christopher Matthew Bentley in Bremerton, Washington to Elizabeth Bentley. He later legally changed his first and middle names to Bentley McBentleson.

Bentley is survived by his mother Elizabeth Bentley, brother Collin (Kathryn) Bentley, sister Cathy (Walter) Forbes, nieces and nephews Olive Forbes, Miles Bentley, Quinn Bentley, girlfriend Melissa Dennis, his aunts and cousins, his cats Travis and Bucket, and his pig Miller Highlife Bentley, the Champagne of Pigs.

Bentley grew up in a lower-class neighborhood in Jewett City, CT.  Dealing with countless challenges, including mental health issues and a less-than-stable home life, early childhood was difficult for Bentley.  He didn’t let that stop him from succeeding.  He turned proverbial lemons into lemonade and came into teenhood as a unique and charismatic individual, filled to the brim with creativity, positivity and a sense of adventure.  His early academic interests focused on psychology and social services, but later shifted to film and video production; sparked by his favorite teacher Tim Moore.

After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in NYC in 2009, Bentley built a successful career in media and technology, working as the technology manager at Maslansky + Partners, Digital Marketing Manager at KFC, Social Media Marketing Manager at Longhorn Steakhouse, and Director of Digital at Long John Silvers. Bentley eventually started his own technology consulting company in 2022.

Bentley was a lifelong fan of KFC. His love for it extended to permanently displaying Colonel Sanders on his body in the form of a tattoo. This tattoo was later featured in the New York Times, making Bentley a New York Times-published photographer. It also caught the eye of KFC, who eventually named Bentley their #1 Fan and realized his dream of selling fried chicken on the internet by offering him a position with KFC on their Digital Marketing Team. This position brought him to Louisville, Kentucky, a city he came to love and champion so much that he was appointed a Kentucky Colonel by the commonwealth’s governor.

Bentley was a collector of passions. He loved comic books, discussing both good and bad movies, bike restoration and riding, camping and being outdoors, finding trash and trying to make it into treasure, distilling his own liquor, and collecting obscure knowledge for use in trivia (or just in general conversation). He had also taken pride in the mantle of “wacky uncle” to his nieces and nephew- a position that provided him with unbridled joy.  

He was known for his larger-than-life personality and was a pillar of every community he was a part of, occupying the volume of every room he stepped into. He had an incredible ability to make new friends, connect unlikely people together, and spark joy in every moment. Even the briefest introduction to Bentley left one deeply impacted by his positive vibes and enthusiasm for experiencing what life had to offer.  He had a knack for seeing the best in people (even if they didn’t see it in themselves) and, without solicitation, bringing that to the surface.

Bentley was always charitable with his time and resources, often offering freely to anyone he encountered, whether he had just met you or had known you for years.  While in NYC, he would often donate his time to homeless shelters - including overnight shifts on weekdays when he had work the next day.  He had a seemingly endless reservoir of Bentley Energy and positivity that needed to be poured into everyone's lives. With Bentley by your side, you felt like you could do anything you previously did not believe you could do; be anyone you previously did not believe you could be. He did not want anyone to feel left out or excluded from experiencing joy. He actively tried to make the world a better place to live in for all around him.  

Bentley will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of knowing him. His infectious personality and kindness will never be forgotten. Bentley’s spirit will live on in every person who goes out of their way to lend a kind ear, give a great hug, encourages good mischief, chooses their wardrobe based on the amount of pockets, or randomly hands out KFC gift certificates.  And the world will be a better place for it.