Walter C. Bentson

Walter C. Bentson (Walt), a devoted husband, a loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather passed away peacefully on September 5 at the age of 95 surrounded by his family. Walt is predeceased by his beloved wife Margaret (nee McCabe) and his cherished daughter Ellen at the age of 11, as well as his companion in later life, Kate Curry. He is survived by his children, Marybeth Bentson, Walter Bentson (Mary), Karen Keane (Michael), Kristen Pecoraro (Michael), Kevin Bentson (JoEllen), Brian Bentson and Michael Bentson (Doreen), 17 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren, a nephew and five nieces.

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York on July 21, 1930, he was the son of Gabriel and Elizabeth Bentson. Following his graduation from the NYU College of Arts and Sciences, he became a commissioned officer in the US Army during the Korean War. Walt then went on to have a distinguished 40-year career with IBM beginning in 1954. He was an Advisory Board Member and Research Fellow for the Stern Graduate School of Business at NYU from1983 to 2006. He was on the Board of Directors of the Bartizan Corporation and held several advisory positions with other professional organizations. Walt regarded his 15-year fellowship at the Aspen Institute with Mortimer Adler as “a life-changing experience". During his retirement years, Walt became an avid sailor. He taught celestial navigation in the US Power Squadron and held the rank of Navigator. Beyond his professional achievements, he enjoyed the arts and was a patron of the San Jose Opera. Walt found great joy in his love of sports, particularly baseball. He combined his love of baseball with his love of the Brooklyn Dodgers and attended the LA Dodger Baseball Camp in 1987. Walt continued to attend and play for over three decades. He was the recipient of several awards and subject of multiple news articles that cited his dedication, devotion, and accomplishments playing the game. When asked to describe his lifelong philosophy, Walt said “Physical fitness and mental toughness has played a large part of my longevity".

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Mausoleum at Gate of Heaven Cemetery 10 West Steven's Avenue Valhalla, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Walt’s memory to LADABC 12950 Willard St, North Hollywood, CA 91605 (818-585-3179) https://www.ladabc.org/ or the Inter-Faith Chapel, 3680 S Leisure World Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20906 (301) 598-5312. https://www.inter-faithchapel.org/. 

Walt’s memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.