Sheldon Richard Bentley
October 31, 1941 - January 22, 2016.
What Kind of Man?
Asleep beside his exhausted mother.
Visitors silently wonder, What kind of man will he be?
Born into an environment he can't begin to fathom.
He will be a son, and maybe a father, husband, teacher
and good friend, to laugh, learn, cry and play?
A kind person that people trust.
And who will teach him life's subtle things?
It's up to all of us, we have a responsibility,
to help him learn, to turn the other cheek,
to enable other men to become good men too.
The man this baby becomes will be determined by all of us;
other men and women, weak and strong, young and old.
We will plant the sapling of the next sturdy oaks.
In seven decades, however, when lowered
in his final silk home,visitors will know,
What kind of man was he.
for if we have done our part,
all will know his life had left its mark.
Rich in relationships, friends and family,
loved and respected for his presence and
effect on others, his marker will aptly read,
“Here Lies a Good Man”
--Sheldon Bentley, 2011