LCDR William "Bill" Sturges Bentley, USN (Ret.), 84, of Gulf Breeze, FL passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024, peacefully at his home with his loving family by his side.

Bill was born in Tucson, AZ on July 27, 1940, and was raised in Phoenix, AZ. After graduating High School, he enlisted in the Navy and had a distinguished 20-year military career. Bill also earned a bachelor's degree in 1978 from the University of West Florida.

The Marine Reconnaissance Foundation wrote the following:

"Bill is a true plank owner of the Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC)/Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman (SOIDC). During his storied career he served in the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT), as a Force Recon Corpsman (Special Operations Medical Technician) with 3rd Force Recon Company, Vietnam and in various SEAL teams. It is men like Bill who have established the lineage of excellence in both the RECON and SEAL communities.

"Never Above You, Never Below You, Always By your Side"

After retiring from the Navy, Bill moved to Pensacola, FL for the remainder of his life. With the same dedication and hard work, he displayed as a SEAL, he became a top real estate salesman in the Pensacola area, for over 20 years. Bill loved trading in the stock market and continued at home, after giving up Real Estate.

Bill is preceded in death by his son, William "Bill" C. Bentley.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Debbie Scott Bentley; son, David Bentley; stepson, Jeremy Creech (Jennifer); grandchildren, Tina Bentley, Jeff Bentley, Caylan Bentley, Tanner Creech, Tucker Creech, and Addie Creech; as well as two great grandchildren, Kenechi Bentley and Kai Bentley.

Visitation will be held from 2:00pm until a Memorial Service begins at 3:00pm Friday, January 3, 2025, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, 2276 Airport Blvd., Pensacola, FL 32504, with full military honors.

Bill loved his dogs. We rescued Lilly and Angel from a rescue organization. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions in Bill's honor to Save Underdogs Rescue at https://saveunderdogs.com or by mailing a donation to Save Underdogs Rescue LLC, 513 Fallin Waters Dr., Mary Esther, FL 32569 or a rescue of your choice. Due to the fact that the donations are almost impossible to track, the family want to go ahead and extend a sincerely thank for anyone who donates in Bill's honor.