Obituaries : * Don S. Bentley; Lifelong Ventura Resident

Lifelong Ventura resident Don S. Bentley died Saturday after a long illness. He was 74.

Bentley’s job before retirement was in civil service at the Point Mugu naval base, but friends remember him first and foremost as an entertainer.

“Once he got going, it was like a filibuster of jokes,” said longtime friend Chick Patterson. “He’d never miss a beat.”

Born in Ventura on Nov. 2, 1923, Bentley moved out of the city only while serving in World War II and the Korean War, said Phyllis Bentley, his wife of 18 years.

“He absolutely loved Ventura,” she said.

But he also loved celebrations and entertaining, his wife said. “He was a party animal,” she said. “He loved to sing.”

Patterson said Bentley was known for his voice and his humor, and he often played and sang in piano bars.

“He was a tremendous talent,” Patterson said. “Everybody loved him.”

Bentley is survived by his wife and two sons, Jack and Brett Bentley of Albuquerque.

The Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura is handling Bentley’s funeral. Friends may call tonight from 5 to 8 p.m., and burial services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m.