John D. Bentley M.D.

John D. Bentley, M.D., physician and humanitarian, passed away Friday, March 10, 2023, after a lifetime of service to others. He was 88 years old. He is survived by his wife, Roseann Knauer Bentley, retired Missouri State Senator and Greene County Commissioner; four children, Jeff Bentley, Chris Bentley, Melissa Allen, and Jonathan Bentley; their spouses, Julia Griesemer Bentley, Beth Bentley, Robert Allen, and Kunti Senesi Bentley; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and countless friends and admirers.
John was the cherished son of Charles Sumner Bentley and Helen Radford Bentley of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who preceded him in death, as did his beloved sister Gail.
John came to Missouri in 1952 as a young ROTC student at the University of Missouri. In the 71 years since then he enriched the lives of many Missourians through his compassion, friendship, hard work and humble service.
After four years as a Navy aviator in Okinawa, Japan, he worked for 35 years in private practice as a cardiologist/internist in Springfield, MO, from 1968 to 2003. In 1985, he began spending many additional volunteer hours each week as the founding Medical Director of the Kitchen Clinic, serving the homeless and poor alongside Sister Lorraine Biebel. Then, after what he called his retirement, in 2003 he helped establish and win funding and recognition for the Jordan Valley Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center serving the Ozarks' medically underprivileged population. He served there as Medical Director and family practitioner for two decades, continuing to treat patients into his 80s.
In recognition of his service over the years, the community honored him with many awards, including the 1999 Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Salute to Healthcare Award, the 2000 Council of Churches' Gift of Time Volunteer of the Year Award, the 2002 Community Foundation of the Ozarks' Humanitarian of the Year Award, the 2003 Missouri State Medical Association's Citizenship and Community Service Award, the 2010 Missourian Award, and the 2015 Springfield Chamber of Commerce's Springfieldian Award- an award his wife Roseann previously had won in 2003.
He doted on his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; applauded his wife's successful political career even in its early days, an era of oppression for women; traveled the world; was an avid tennis player; gardener; played the flute; ran the Honolulu Marathon at age 57; loved Willie Nelson's music; made Halloween and New Years Eve a huge event at his home every year; and for an unknown reason was terrified of birds, especially if they got inside the house.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday March 18, 2023 in St. Agnes Cathedral. Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday March 17,2023 in Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.
The family would like to thank caregivers Teresa Benson and Kamryn Voris, Good Shepherd Hospice, and Dawn Dean, Jeff Mountain and everybody at Jordan Valley Community Health Center.
There aren't many people like him. People were lucky if they got to know him, have him as their doctor, count him as their friend, or love him as their family member, Dad, Packaw, or Boppa.