Cobb County attorney and former Georgia House and Senate member Fred “Bowtie” Bentley Sr. has died at the age of 92, officials said.
The Kennesaw native died in his home Oct. 3, according to an obituary posted by Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home.
The seventh-generation Cobb Countian was a prominent figure in the county as a past president of the Chamber of Commerce, a founder of Kennesaw State University and the founder of two rare book galleries in Kennesaw and Gainesville.
“Though Fred, Sr. is well known for his love and knowledge of history, art, rare books and historical artifacts, what he really valued was faith, family, education and sharing all of these things with others,” the obituary said. “And he was not short on action.”
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Bentley studied law at Emory University and received a degree at the age of 23. He served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives starting in 1951 and one term in the state Senate beginning in 1958.
Bentley was also a founder of Kennesaw Junior College, which later become Kennesaw State University. In 1972 he gifted prints to to KSU to help the university found its art collection.
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Bentley was the last surviving member of the original Cobb County Bar Association. He was the senior partner of the Bentley, Bentley and Bentley law practice for 50 years before retiring.
A memorial service will be held at Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta Oct. 26 at 2 p.m.
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