Thomas Preston BENTLEY

1930 - 2016

BENTLEY, Thomas Preston Preston Bentley, "Bubber" to family and friends, died on July 29, 2016. He was born on February 8, 1930, in the former home of his great- great grandfather, James Trice, in Upson County, GA, near Thomaston. He grew up as the second of four children on his parents' farm on Trice Cemetery Road in Upson. He was educated at Ben Hill, a rural school in Upson, and Robert E. Lee High School in Thomaston. In 1946, he attended Emory at Oxford College, then the University of Georgia. Throughout his school years he was involved in many activities and always excelled academically. At UGA he was the valedictorian of his l950 graduating class and a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and Demosthenian Literary Society. During the Korean War, he served in the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) in Yokohama, Japan. While in Japan, he proudly climbed Mt. Fuji. He was honorably discharged from the army in 1953 and returned to Thomaston to work at the Bank of Upson which his father had helped to found and to teach for two years at Yatesville High School in rural Upson. In 1956, he earned his Master's degree in American History from UGA and did post Master's work at UNC and UGA. In 1957 he began 24 years of teaching American history and government in DeKalb County at Chamblee, Cross Keys and Sequoyah high schools where he was Chairman of the Social Studies Department and always involved in his students' many activities. For many years, he accompanied students to Washington, D.C. for the Close- Up program. He was twice chosen as STAR teacher, was chosen six times by his fellow teachers as Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year and for two years had the yearbook dedicated to him. He lived in England for two years working as a student counselor at the U. S. Air Force American School at Lakenheath. In those years and in many other trips to Europe he said that he "had traveled as far north as the Arctic Circle in Finland, as far south as the Sahara Desert in Morocco, as far west as Ireland, as far east as Greece and all the countries in between." He also traveled in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. He retired in 1983 and spent much of his time writing family history and enjoying visits from his former students in Atlanta and at the family farm where he later lived. In 1982, at Preston's suggestion, he, his brother James and sister Claire began organizing for a super family reunion to take place in 1989. Reunions had taken place at the Bentley farm many times but this one was to celebrate the anniversary of the 200th birthday of their 4th great grandfather, William Trice (1789-1858) who is buried in the Trice family cemetery across the road from the farm house. Preston, a prolific letter writer and a great organizer, was instrumental in making this reunion a success. Over 800 relatives came from 23 states for a barbecue under the oaks. After the reunion, Preston moved back to the farm where he lived from 1990 to 2008. He became an avid gardener, continued to write family history, was an active volunteer at the Thomaston Upson Archives, a member of the Upson Historical Society and a member of the Retired Teachers Association. An enthusiastic photographer, he leaves a rich pictorial history of the lives of his family, filling a wall of his study with picture albums. Preston was especially devoted to the family cemetery since both his parents descended from the Trice family and he had 27 direct ancestors buried there. In the 17 years after he returned to the farm he was responsible for the maintenance and care of the historic cemetery and decorated all of the (then) 265 graves at Christmas. Preston, a doting uncle, was adored by his niece and nephews and great nieces and great nephews. He once said that the one thing in his life that he had loved doing most was being an uncle and that on his tombstone he wanted his epitaph to say: "He was an Uncle". In 2008 he returned to Atlanta to live in an assisted living residence. Preston was preceded in death by his parents James Lynwood Bentley, Sr. and Clarice Abercrombie Bentley and his brothers Melvin Reeves Bentley and James Lynwood Bentley, Jr. He is survived by his sister Claire Bentley Foster, his brother-in-law and best friend Chris Anthony Foster, niece Nina Elizabeth "Betty" Bentley Watson (Wade), nephews James Lynwood Bentley III (Cameron), Samuel Jackson Bentley (Fiona), Anthony Chris Foster (Amy), Alexander Reeves Foster (Heather), great nieces Taylor Crisman Bentley, Elizabeth Abercrombie Bentley, Lila Grace Foster and Violet Claire Foster, great nephews Hampton Matthews Watson, Jordan Bentley Watson, Samuel Jackson Bentley Jr., Rory Owen James Bentley, James Lynwood Bentley IV, Reeves Alexander Foster and sister-in-law Gwen Mincey Bentley. He is also survived by many loving cousins, friends and devoted former students. A memorial service will be held for Preston on Sunday, October 2, 2016, at 1 p.m. under the oaks on the Bentley farm at 1037 Trice Cemetery Road, Thomaston, GA. In lieu of flowers that might be sent, Preston would have appreciated that donations be made for the care of his beloved cemetery which his sister Claire now maintains. Trice Cemetery Fund, c/o Claire Bentley Foster, 175 Pinecrest Ave. Decatur, GA. 30030.