April 5, 2015 was not just a day of celebrating Easter, but also a day filled with mourning for the Bishop Noll community. On that Easter Sunday, Larry Bentley–teacher at Noll for 36 years–passed away after struggling with lymphoma. Many of Bentley’s students in the Bishop Noll family, are still not prepared to say goodbye to that one special teacher who changed their lives forever.

  “I am amazed at how his former students, many years after being in his class, still tell their favorite Mr. Bentley stories,” said Paul Mullaney, president of Bishop Noll. “He was a great teacher and simply a great guy.”

  However, although Larry Bentley may not be alive in the flesh, his legacy will continue to live on with a brand new $1,000 scholarship that Bishop Noll plans to establish in the 2016-2017 school year.

  “The desire to remember Mr. Bentley in a special way was the main reason for the idea of a scholarship,” said Mrs. Mary Ellen O’Neill, the Director of Institutional Advancement at Bishop Noll. “People wanted to make a donation in Mr. Bentley’s name when he died in April.”

  The idea for this scholarship sparked when Mr. Bentley’s son, Kurt Bentley (class of 2000) and his family wanted Bishop Noll students to have something good come out of Mr. Bentley’s death. Kurt said this is what his father would have wanted.

   “He loved teaching and truly loved his students. He always said that his students kept him young at heart,” he said.

  Kurt spoke at Bentley’s funeral about this scholarship and then again at the class of 2015’s graduation. Kurt explained that his father would always tell his students that after they graduated, they should send him $1 a year each, so that he could be a rich man in retirement. Since Bentley taught so many students over the years and even generations of students, he would get a lot of money.

   “He told me you know you are old and need to retire when you teach a former student’s child, then grandchild,” Kurt said.

  Kurt recycled his father’s idea of sending $1 a year, wanting to use it in a different way in which his father would be proud of him. Instead of sending money to Mr. Bentley every year, people can send money every year towards the Larry Bentley Scholarship to help a Bishop Noll student with their tuition. “I would like to see the current students and all former students of his to remember my father by making at least a dollar donation to his scholarship fund every year in his memory,” said Kurt.

  At Bentley’s wake and funeral, donations were given in his name. A few weeks later, at The Big Event, a special live action took place. During this time, guests made bids on amounts starting at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $250, $100, and $50. Then, the guests donated the amount of money that they felt comfortable with.

  Between the wake, funeral, and live auction, the approximate amount made is $16,000. O’Neill hopes that people will continue to donate to this fund in the future.

  “The terrific response from the Bishop Noll community to fund the Larry Bentley Scholarship is further testimony to the impact Mr. Bentley had on his students and everyone else with whom he interacted,” said Mullaney.

  Qualifications for this scholarship have yet to be determined; however, they will be discussed within the next upcoming months. It is determined that one student per year will receive the scholarship and students will have the opportunity to apply to several scholarships in February and March, including the Larry Bentley Scholarship.

  Kurt said that this scholarship will allow people to remember Coach Bentley, LB, or Mr. Bentley; who was seen as a father figure and a loyal friend to many. “Hopefully this scholarship will remind those students and faculty what Noll was and what it should continue to be,” Kurt said.

 “[Mr. Bentley] had a great sense of humor, quick wit and infectious smile that drew people in,” said Mullaney, “and you can understand how he used those God-given traits to capture the attention of those in his class for their own advancement.”

Donations for the scholarship can be dropped off at Bishop Noll’s main office or mailed to Bishop Noll Institute, c/o Mary Ellen O’Neill, director of advancement, 1519 Hoffman St., Hammond, IN 46327.