A staunch advocate for the U.S. maritime industry, she was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2006, Maryland Gov. Robert L. Erlich Jr., renamed the Port of Baltimore after Bentley. “We at the American Association of Port Authorities are greatly saddened by the loss of Mrs. Bentley, who devoted her life to making a positive, indelible mark on the seaport industry and its issues,” said a statement by AAPA executive vice president and general counsel Jean Godwin. “This was her passion and her pride. Her insights on port operations and public policy made her a very effective spokesperson for national port issues as well. Her expertise will be sorely missed in Washington.”
