John Thomas Bentley

John Thomas Bentley HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP John Thomas Bentley, 74, of Hopewell Township, passed away on Jan. 2, 2020, due to on-going health issues. John attended the American Boychoir School of Princeton where he traveled and sang at the White House. He graduated from Trenton Central High School. John continued his education with a BS in business administration and marketing from Rider University. In his junior year at Rider, he was cast in a USO touring group of the Broadway show L'il Abner and toured Southeast Asia until returning to complete his degree program. He often traveled to New York City where he sang with John Denver with whom he maintained a friendship until Mr. Denver's death. Upon being drafted in 1968, John served in the U.S. Army, graduating first in his battalion, specializing in light weapons infantry during the Vietnam War, earning three medals, and an honorable discharge in 1974. After returning from Vietnam, John assisted the family business, Bentley's Market, for several years. John's eclectic personality led him in many directions throughout his life, including owning a courier service in Florida, a paid paramedic with RWJUH Medical Center, real estate agent in Florida and New Jersey, and finally as a tax auditor for the State of New Jersey. He was a volunteer firefighter with Lawrenceville Fire Station 23. Along with his service to the fire company, he was also a registered EMT and certified paramedic. He rode with the Lawrence Township First Aid Squad for several years. In recent years, John enjoyed his retirement by traveling in his motor home to various places like the Outer Banks. His nieces and nephew will always hold fond memories of John singing and playing guitar for them growing up. John was a member of the Lawrenceville Fire Company, a life member of the Lawrence Township First Aid Squad, and the National Association of Realtors. John was predeceased by his parents, Frederick A. Bentley Jr. and Laura Bennett Bentley; his brothers, Fred (Butch) A. Bentley III and Arthur E. Bentley, and his niece, Stacey Gorlaski. He is survived by a nephew, Kevin J. Bentley and his husband, Kirk Young, of Gualala, CA; a niece, Melissa A. Jackson and her husband, George, of Chesterfield, NJ; a niece, Jennifer Bentley and her husband, Braden Houston, of West Newton, MA; two sisters-in-law, Robin Bentley of Lawrenceville, NJ, and Carol Bentley of The Villages, FL; a great-nephew, Brian C. Abrahams; three great-nieces, Olivia Jackson of Chesterfield, NJ, and Beckett and Blake Houston of West Newton, MA. There will be no calling hours, per John's wishes. An interment ceremony will be held at the Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Newtown, PA ,Jan.14, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made in John's name to the Deborah Heart and Lung Center via the Deborah Hospital Foundation, Browns Mills, NJ.