Cheryl Bentley

Cheryl Ann (Hull) Bentley passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 after a fulfilling life enriched by family, friends, career, travel, and service to her community. Cheryl was preceded in death by her parents, Wendell and Eleanore Hull, and her eldest brother, David P. Hull. She is survived by her husband, Jerry Bentley; two children, Meredith (Chris Ervine) and Jared (Amy Burdon); two grandchildren, Ada and Vera; brother, Dale (Ruth) Hull; sister, Lynne (Patrick) Quinlan; and sister-in-law, Karen Hull. Since Cheryl married into Jerry’s large, welcoming family a half-century ago, she will also be deeply missed by Jerry’s many siblings and their spouses, especially her dear sisters-in-law Bobbie Bentley (Pam Heitbrink), with whom Jerry and Cheryl have spent countless hours. Cheryl was incredibly close to her numerous nieces and nephews, having been—with Jerry—a vital part of many of their childhoods. Cheryl was born on the northwest side of Grand Rapids in 1953 and enjoyed a loving childhood in the 1950s and 1960s with her sister, Lynne, with whom she shared everything, and her friend of over 60 years, Carol Youngs-Witt. Cheryl was lucky enough to meet her soulmate, life partner, and husband of 52 years as a teenager. Married at 18 and 19 years old, Cheryl and Jerry truly grew up—and have spent their entire adult lives—together. They supported each other through their educations to find rewarding careers and, both desperately wanting children, through a decade of fertility challenges until they had their two kids. Meredith and Jared have been at the center of their world ever since. When their granddaughters, Ada and Vera, were born, their hearts grew even bigger. For Cheryl, Ada and Vera would “fill her bucket” like nothing else. For 40 years, Cheryl practiced as a dental hygienist—a profession she was deeply committed to and passionate about. Cheryl was a people person, and one of her favorite things about dental hygiene was having “conversations” with her patients. Luckily, she was gifted with the dental hygienist superpower: understanding people’s mumbling with dental tools in their mouths. Cheryl was also thankful for the many close friends dental hygiene brought into her life, especially Bruce M. Weny, DDS, and Phyllis Roskiewicz-Isabelle. Cheryl strongly believed in the importance of being active in your profession. She served in every leadership position of the Grand Shores Dental Hygienists’ Association multiple times and also served in every officer position of the Michigan Dental Hygienists’ Association. She served in numerous leadership roles at the West Michigan Dental Foundation, including as President, which made her the first female and only registered dental hygienist foundation president. She was a member of the Council on Regulation and Practice of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. In these roles, she advocated for improving access to oral healthcare. She also served as a Dental Hygiene Examiner and Steering Committee Member for the Commission on Dental Competency (CDCA). She was awarded the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Colgate Outreach Award in 2002, the Dr. Robert Streelman Service Award in 2004, the Michigan Dental Hygienists’ Association Service Award in 2014, and named Grand Rapids Dental Hygienists’ Society Dental Hygienist of the Year multiple years. She was appointed to Michigan’s State Board of Dentistry by Governor Snyder in 2016 and reappointed by Governor Whitmer, serving until her second term ended in June 2024. Cheryl was committed to her community and generous with her time. She served as a member of the Coalition for Oral Health Care for the Elderly, the Perinatal Oral Health Care Coalition, and the Kent County Oral Health Coalition, and she formed and chaired the Children’s Dental Exhibit Committee for the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. In the mid-1990s, Cheryl helped organize a year-long educational and interactive program on oral health at Campau Park Elementary School as part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools Summit and set up an emergency dental program for Grand Rapids Public Schools. She volunteered at Mel Trotter, Adult Dental Days, and at the Grand Rapids Ballet Company’s Guild, for which Grand Rapids Ballet named her Volunteer of the Year in 2001. She also won an award for the Grand Rapids Ballet School’s Christmas tree display at The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, which was handed to her by Former President Ford. When she wasn’t busy with professional and volunteer engagements, Cheryl filled her life and retirement with the activities she loved. Her favorite ways to spend time were traveling, drinking wine with friends, cooking, and practicing yoga. Some of Cheryl’s favorite trips were to New Zealand, Greece, Italy, Morocco, and South Africa. She has ridden camels through the desert, gone on a safari in Kruger National Park, climbed the Great Wall of China, paraglided off the coast of Peru, and hiked the Camino de Santiago. When Cheryl wasn’t traveling, she was planning her next trip. Cheryl and Jerry developed a special friendship with Joan and Jim Blodgett, who they were blessed to meet in their late 40s. For over two decades, Cheryl & Jerry and Joan & Jim have enjoyed each other’s company while traveling the world, boating, and enjoying delicious wine and food. Cheryl found cooking and yoga to be meditative. She was well-known by family and friends for her excellent vegetarian meals that even meat eaters (including Jerry) loved, and she was skilled at recreating her favorite dishes from restaurants. She found yoga in 2004 and, through her yoga practice, developed a tight bond with a group of women, especially Denise Mollenhauer, their favorite instructor. Cheryl was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2006 and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in 2023. Cheryl was a force of nature who lived and loved fully even during the nearly 20 years she lived with cancer. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (https://givenow.lls.org/), Corewell Health Hospice (https://give.corewellhealth.org/hospice-donation) or the ADHA Institute for Oral Health Foundation (https://www.adha.org/ioh/ioh-donate-now/). Please join Cheryl’s family on Saturday, November 9th, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. for a celebration of Cheryl’s life at the Eastern Avenue Hall, 506 Eastern Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503. Per Cheryl's wishes, she has been laid to rest at Ridgeview Memorial Gardens, a certified green burial site. To send a message of sympathy to the family, sign Cheryl's online guest book, or to share a favorite memory, please visit: www.MichiganCremation.com Burial arrangements are entrusted to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Grand Rapids, 616-452-3006. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Cheryl Bentley, please visit our flower store.