A longtime funeral director from Indiana County has passed away in Florida. 71-year-old Carl Bence died last Sunday in Ormond Beach. He and his brother Harry operated the Bence Funeral Home in Clymer, taking over the business started by their father, and they later purchased what became the Bence-Mihalcik Funeral Home in Indiana.
After a service yesterday in Florida, a service and interment will be held here in Indiana County later this week.
Here is the obituary announcement from the Dale Woodward Funeral Home:
Carl W. Bence, age 71, of Ormond Beach, Florida, formerly of Clymer, PA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 6, 2019.
The eldest son of the late Harry J. and Betty (Thompson) Bence, he was born on October 14, 1947 in Indiana, PA.
Carl graduated from Penns Manor High School and Saint Louis University before being enlisted into the U.S. Army. He served as a Sergeant during the Vietnam War completing two tours of duty overseas. Upon his return to the States, he began an accomplished career in the music industry throughout the mid-western region and living in Chicago.
In the early 1980s, Carl transitioned back to Pennsylvania, earning his degree in Mortuary Science and graduating first in his class from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science (PIMS). Following in his father’s footsteps, he then entered the family business with his brother Harry, becoming co-owner of the Bence Funeral Homes in Clymer and Indiana.
One of his many passions was acquiring and care of his beloved Bonsai trees. Started as a hobby, his nursery was cultivated over the decades to include a variety of specialty plants and shrubbery. Carl’s culinary talents provided everyday delicious meals and holiday entertaining at its best. Among his personal interests, being an avid reader meant he could always be found with a newly released book in his hands. However, his life’s devotion was to his Catholic faith through his parish involvement and community volunteerism with various church ministries and charities.
Surviving are his brothers, Harry J. and William J. Bence of Ormond Beach, FL; his sisters, Roxie A. Berzansky (Frank) of Blairsville, PA and Connie L. Wolff (William) of Brush Valley, PA; numerous nieces and nephews; several grandnieces and grandnephews; and his Godson, Steven Henry Shaffer of Apollo, PA.
