Sheila Farrington (McGiverin) Bentley

Sheila Farrington (McGiverin) Bentley died peacefully in her sleep at home on June 29, 2025 at the age of 95. She was predeceased by her husband Peter in 2021. She is survived by her 5 children, Barbara Hislop (John), Susan Kololian (Vahan), Joanie Ball (Mik), Michael Bentley (Lesley) and Lisa Turner (Terrence), 15 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

Sheila was born in Victoria, BC April 11, 1930 to Agatha and Harold McGiverin. Her growing up years were marked by her happy memories of times at Qualicum Beach and The Mountain School in Banff where she made life long friendships. While attending UBC she met Peter Bentley and they were married in May 1953. After a long honeymoon, where Peter played a lot of golf, Sheila decided she’d better learn. So she went to the driving range at Marine Drive Golf Club every day for a year just to hit balls. In her first season of golf her handicap went from a 39 to a 9. Sheila went on to play competition golf all over BC, Washington, and California. A few highlights included placing 2nd in the BC Women’s Amateur in 1972 and 2nd in the BC Senior Women’s Amateur in 1983. She won a remarkable 33 club championships. 18 at Thunderbird (Rancho Mirage, CA), 10 at Capilano, 4 at Marine Drive and 1 at Morningside (Rancho Mirage, CA). She also qualified for the USGA Amateur once.

But her golfing life was not just confined to the course. Sheila was on the BC Women’s Golf Executive for over 30 years, was Women’s President of The Canadian Ladies Golf Association for 2 years, including hosting the Women’s World Amateur in 1992 at Marine Drive.

Despite her golf career, family was always Sheila’s focus. She actively volunteered in many capacities at her children’s schools, and with The Junior League of Vancouver, where she was a docent at The Vancouver Public Aquarium and The Vancouver Art Gallery, and learned to type braille for The Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Sheila was an ace at towing a horse trailer behind a woodie station wagon filled with her young riders and their few non-rider siblings. And she managed a horse well on her own too, enjoying many hours of riding at her in-laws’ Cedarhurst Barn in Southlands and especially at Bar Q Ranch and Sundance where her inner cowgirl shone through. Skiing in Banff, badminton at The Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, summers in Naramata at The Sandy Beach Lodge, and fabulous road trips around the province rounded out a rich family life.

As Sheila’s children finished school she ended up spending more and more of the winter in Rancho Mirage, California, a place the family had begun visiting regularly in 1973. She quickly made friends on the golf course. Her clever sense of humour, her feistiness and her loyalty made making friends easy despite the fact that she was always beating everyone on the golf course. As grandchildren started to arrive (quickly and in tight succession) she enjoyed them all, both in Vancouver for the ritual Sunday family dinners and in Rancho Mirage, especially on some very busy and crowded spring breaks. Her grandchildren all came to know her humour and sarcasm, her excellent driving skills and her inexplicable need to ALWAYS have a coat, no matter the weather. She introduced a whole new generation to golf, driving, good manners and Murder She Wrote.

When great grandchildren began arriving Sheila welcomed them all with the same love, enthusiasm, and expectations. Covid put an end to the visits south, and after Peter’s death in 2021 she stayed put in BC. But family was always close and she was constantly involved with all of her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Her family extend their profound thanks to Adele Cruz (21 years), Geraldine Juanola and Emma Ma who so wonderfully took care of Sheila. They would also like to thank the community health nurses and palliative care nurses who made Sheila’s passing at home so peaceful. Deep gratitude also goes to Cyndi Anderson who was so helpful.

A funeral will be held at the church Sheila attended, St. John’s Vancouver, 5350 Baillie Street, Vancouver, on Tuesday July 22, 2025 at 4pm with a reception to follow.