Margo M. Bentley

Margo Bentley made her final trip from this earth on Monday, January 27, 2020 at the age of 81. She died peacefully at home in Atlanta, surrounded by her loving family after a valiant 4-year battle with cancer.

Born in 1938 in Bay City, Michigan, Margo graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology in 1960.

A devoted mother, wife and homemaker, Margo raised her family in the Detroit suburbs for 23 years. Following a divorce from her first husband, she enrolled in law school at Wayne State University at the age of 42 and graduated in 1986 with a Juris Doctor degree. She passed the bar in both Michigan and Georgia. Margo practiced family law in Franklin, Michigan and went on to marry the love of her life, Richard Bentley. Tragically, Richard died in a plane crash just 6 months after their wedding.

Ever resilient, Margo relocated to Atlanta to be with her sister Pam Rosenberg, and grandchildren Andrew and Olivia Greenblatt.

Margo always enjoyed traveling, but her passion for adventure and desire to explore other cultures and lands really ignited at age 70 when she traveled to Antarctica with her best friend, Maureen Trese. She and Maureen braved the Drake Passage, a notoriously rough sea crossing to commune with penguins on subzero ice.

The duo joined the Travelers Century Club, and together they set out to visit every country and territory on Earth. Some of Margo’s favorite places she visited were London, Cork, Ireland, and the lavender fields in Provence, France. However, she had a keen interest and appreciation for every place she visited. In addition to Maureen, Margo’s frequent traveling companions included her sister Pam Rosenberg, daughter Dana Forrester, and granddaughter Olivia Greenblatt.

After a dire cancer diagnosis in late 2015, Margo accelerated her goal to reach 200 countries. Between multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, Margo visited an additional 22 countries and territories – bringing her total to 206. “Each year I thought would be my last. Yet, in spite of the grueling treatments I have managed to continue to travel and enjoy many happy occasions with my family and dear friends,” she said.

In the final weeks of her life, Margo was planning yet another trip – to Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar. She cancelled that trip 4 days before her passing – when God put the final stamp in her passport.

Margo was the Matriarch of our family, the Chief of our extended tribe, the Sun in which we all orbited around. A beloved Mother, Nana, Aunt, Sister, and Friend, Margo set an example for a life fully and bravely lived. She refused to be defined by her circumstances and continued to persevere despite the challenges presented.

Her daily mantras were “Do everything you can to have a positive attitude and enjoy every day” and “Wear your jewelry!”

Margo is survived by her children Jeffrey Mendelssohn, Dana (James Trunko) Forrester, and Harry Greenblatt; grandchildren Andrew and Olivia Greenblatt and Gryffen Mendelssohn; sister Pam (Sumner) Rosenberg; brothers David (Judy) Horowitz and Kim (Kara) Horowitz; nieces Rachel (Dallas) Peavy, Laurel (Eric Kidder) Rosenberg, Lori and Amelia Horowitz; nephews Danny Hayes, Mark (Candie) Horowitz, Alex, and Sergei (Courtney Sherritt) Horowitz and Macon ( Mariah ) Stott; great-nieces Zoe Peavy, Charlotte Stott, Lulubelle, Leah, Shayna, Mimi, and Chana Horowitz; and great-nephews Brandon and Finn Kidder, and Asher Hayes, Levi Horowitz, Grayson Lowe-Brown and Gabriel Sherritt, Issac Horowitz; and her cherished cat and constant companion, Precious.

She was proceeded in death by her beloved husband Richard Bentley, and parents Louise and Franklin Horowitz.

A celebration of Margo’s life will be held at her home in Atlanta on Saturday, February 22, 2020.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Margo’s honor can be made to her favorite organizations, including Furkids (Georgia’s largest no-kill shelter and sanctuary), the Horizon Theatre Company (Atlanta’s Independent theater company, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and the High Museum of Art.