Scott Thomas Benty

Scott Thomas Benty was born on June 25, 1948 in Placid Memorial Hospital on Church Street in Lake Placid (currently the tennis courts on Mirror Lake Drive), to Dorothy (Traynor/Bontecou) and Herbert Benty (World War II veteran). He graduated from St. Pius in 1966, and attended Northwood for a postgraduate year in 1967. Scott married Linda LaHart (Joan & Jack LaHart, Upstate Vending Service) on April 7, 1973 at Saint Agnes Church.

He attended Cardigan Mountain School in NH, and earned a degree in Turf Grass Management from UMass. Scott was highly recommended and hired by Ted Horton to work the 1974 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club. When Mr. Horton decided to cut the rough to match the fairways because the players “had trouble finding their ankles, much less the golf ball”, Scott was the man on the mower. After the birth of their first son Ryan in October of 1974, Scott and Linda decided to move back to Lake Placid where Scott worked as The Lake Placid Club Golf Course superintendent. Sitting on the cushman one day with my dad, I asked him why he worked on the golf course. He looked down the fairway and said, “This place is beautiful, who wouldn’t want to come to work here every day?”

As their family grew, adding Carolyn in November of 1975, Scotty in September of 1979, and the fourth, but never the least Cameron in March of 1982, Scott packed his shovel, wheelbarrow, and lawn mower into the back of their green station wagon, and started Benty’s Landscaping.

In the winters, Scott worked on the Ski Patrol at Whiteface. He met a lot of good friends at the mountain, and had just as many stories about their shenanigans up there. He worked on lower Cloudspin for the Men’s Downhill during the 1980 Olympics. He said, “those guys were going 80 mph by the time they reached the bottom of Niagra”, which was only a couple of turns from the start gate. Linda joined him on Whiteface as a ski instructor, and together they passed on their love of skiing to the kids. “Stay below Mid (station) and I’ll see you at lunch”, is what they heard from Dad many a morning. Once in a while, on a good, snow-stormy day, Scott and Linda would let the kids skip school and head to the mountain to make some magical family memories. Scott always had Hershey’s kisses in his pocket for the ride on the chairlift, and he always showed them the ‘good spots’ up there on the hill; thanks for showing us the good stuff Dad.

Ryan, Scott, and Cameron followed their passion for skiing all the way to Lake Tahoe, to the promise land of The Palisades. Fueled by their father’s entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic, Ryan created Whiteface Builders, Scott continues to perfect his craft as a finish carpenter, and Cameron carried Benty’s Landscaping to California on the back of a flatbed truck. So now, we affectionately have both ‘The East Coast’ and ‘The West Coast’ Benty’s.

As a fourth generation native of Lake Placid, Scott loved this little town. From skiing on Scott’s Coble and Mt. Whitney, to playing golf on the courses at The Club, Craig Wood, and Whiteface Inn, he loved every season in Lake Placid. Although he’d say you couldn’t make this town any more beautiful, we all knew he did with every landscape design he created. He was proud of our town, and when our welcome signs were tattered by our long winters, Scott offered to refinish them. Ever the student of any new interest, he researched how to apply the gold leaf paint, leaving another beautiful mark on Lake Placid.

If you knew our father then you knew his disposition, demeanor, his smile, his blue eyes when his glasses were off, his quick wit, his work ethic, and most of all his heart for his wife and family. His sobriety at 31 in 1979 created a tremendous opportunity to share that much more life with his wife and four kids. The two of them worked hard to provide for the two youngest who were usually close enough to bump him in the head with the handle of a rake or a shovel as he taught them the value of a hard day’s work. Not only did the older two receive the same introduction to work ethic, they were seeing a softer side of their father after his remaining lifelong commitment to a life without alcohol.

It wasn’t long into his 50’s that his heart began to show complications. Doing his best not to let that change how he lived, life experiences, his family, and his career were still a priority. As life progressed so did the complications of his heart despite complex procedures, a second defibrillator, and the medications to pick up where those left off.

My father’s soul entered the world on June 25th 1948. Just over 77 years later on October 28th 2025 his soul entered heaven and eternal union and fellowship with the very ever-present Father that never left his side.

Scott had a huge heart, and an even bigger work ethic as he overcame obstacles that would have stopped many in their tracks. He enjoyed hunting until he didn’t, loved a good, fast car as long as it was comfortable, and loved his family even more. Scott’s family: Linda, Ryan (Katie and daughter Cora) Benty; Carolyn (Joe) Lawless; Scott (Nikki and son Scotty); and Cameron; sister Lynn (John) Clarke, and her son Nathan Hebert will hold him in their hearts until they meet again.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake.  A service will be held in Scott’s honor on Saturday, November 22 at 11:00 a.m. at the Saranac Lake Baptist Church.

If you would like to send cards please use 1919 Saranac Ave, Lake Placid NY 12946.