Obituary: Deborah Bentley

Memorial services for Deborah Bentley, 71, of Portales will be held at 1:00 PM, Sat., Oct. 7, 2023 at the First Baptist Church with Dr. David McFadden officiating. Dr. Steven Gamble, John Birdsong, Mason Bentley, Thatcher Bentley, Larry Teal and Mike Howard have been named as honorary pallbearers.

Deborah Kay Bentley was born May 3, 1952, in Rising Star, TX to the home of Joyce Marie (Siekman) and Herbert Leroy Holamon, and passed from this life to the arms of her savior on the morning of Oct. 4, 2023 in Amarillo, TX. Her early childhood was spent in Goldsmith, TX. As a freshman in high school, she and her family moved to Kermit, TX where she graduated in 1970. When her fiancé, Gilbert Bentley Jr., completed his basic training in the US Air Force, they were married on Aug. 16, 1970 in Kermit. She and Mr. Bentley were stationed in Sumter, SC for four years. Following his discharge, they moved to Monahans, TX where she worked as a secretary for an oil field supply company. In 1976, they returned to Kermit where they made their home until 1986. During that time she worked as a bookkeeper for an insurance agency. In 1986, they moved to Hereford, TX where she was again employed by an insurance agency. Five years later they were transferred by her husband's company to Bloomfield, NM where she worked in the school administration office as part of a government project to benefit the Native American population. In 1996, they moved to Portales, and Mrs. Bentley took a position as a secretary at Eastern New Mexico University. For the twelve years between 2005 and her retirement in 2017, she served as the Executive Secretary for the president and the Board of Regents for the university.

Mrs. Bentley was a faithful and active member of the First Baptist Church. She and her husband enjoyed camping, motorcycling, and travel. She and Mr. Bentley used their leisure time traveling throughout the western United States as well as making several trips to Canada, where their son and his family make their home.

She is survived by Gilbert, her husband of more than 53 years of their home; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Bryan Bentley of Borger, TX and Rev. Blake and Elisa Bentley of Toronto, Canada; five grandchildren, Mason, Thatcher, Brydie, Orion and Judah Bentley; and two brothers, Don Holamon of Rockwall, TX and Dave Holamon of Houston, TX. She was preceded in death by both of her parents.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wheeler Mortuary of Portales. 575-356-4455, wheelermortuary.net