Ellen (Ellie) McKay Gifford Bent, of Port St. Lucie died on July 25, 2016. Born October 18, 1923, in Bronxville, New York, and raised in Litchfield, Connecticut, she attended St. John Baptist School in Mendham, New Jersey. Mrs. Bent served in World War II as a SPAR in the United States Coast Guard for two years in Washington, D.C.

Married in 1945 for 45 years to William Gifford, she spent 30 years, until Mr. Gifford's death in 1991, in the Village of Tequesta, Florida. She remarried in 1994 to Sidney Thomas Bent and subsequently moved to the Treasure Coast Airpark in Port St. Lucie, where Mr. Bent taught flying and aerobatics. Mrs. Bent was an equestrian in her early and later years, and an avid tennis player throughout her life. She was a member of the Tequesta Country Club and the Jupiter Inlet Beach Club, and since 1998 was a member of the Legacy Country Club in PGA Village, Port St. Lucie West, Florida.

She is survived by her husband, Sidney Thomas Bent; sons, William Gifford III (Tracy) and Sheldon Renex Gifford of North Hollywood, CA: daughters, Gail E. Hoepner of Winter Springs, FL, and Elizabeth D. Post (John) of Annandale, VA; grandchildren, Michael (Rebecca) and Matthew Hoepner of Orlando, FL, John Post (Rana) of Republic, MO, and Dawn Post, of Fairfax, VA; Great-grandsons, Canton and Harper Post; sisters Ruth Gibbs of Watertown, NY, and Emily Runge of Tulsa, OK; and stepsons, David Bent (Sophie, John, Michael) and Douglas Bent. She is preceded in death by sisters, her twin Margaret (Markie) Trottenberg of Silver Springs, MD and Charity MacDonald of Bedford, NY; and brother, William M. A. Wilson of Canton, CT.

A funeral service will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Advent, 4885 SW Honey Terrace (at SW Citrus - 1 mile south of 714 on 76A), Palm City, Florida, at 11 o'clock on Monday, August 1, 2016, with the Reverend Dr. Robert "Bo" Shires officiating. Internment will follow the service in the Memorial Garden at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, 120 Wall Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10005-4001 (www.jdrf.com), or the Treasure Coast Hospice Foundation, 1201 SE Indian St., Stuart, FL 34997 (www.tchospice.org).