Mary E. Bennett

Mary Elizabeth Rice Bennett, 75, passed away on October 11, 2022 after a long illness. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Col. Charles Daniel Bennett USMC (ret) of Pensacola, her three sons: Jeffrey Bennett (wife, Natalie) of Auburn Alabama, Daniel Nolan Bennett (wife, Irina) of Olivebridge, New York, and Timothy Ralph Bennett of Seattle, Washington and two grandchildren: Audrey Alice Bennett of Auburn Alabama and Yanna Elizabeth Bennett of Olivebridge, New York. She is also survived by her three siblings: Nolan “Mickey” Rice Jr. of Pensacola, Judy Rice Greene of Sarasota, and Thomas Ralph Rice of Pensacola.

Mary was born July 22, 1947 at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, the second child of Alice Ludlum Rice of Mobile Alabama and Nolan Rice of Allentown Florida. She spent the first years of her life following her father’s Naval assignments throughout the country, returning to Pensacola to stay in 1956. Growing up in the Myrtle Grove neighborhood, she attended school in the Escambia County School District, graduating from Escambia High School in 1965. On August 13 of that same year she married Charles Daniel Bennett, then a student at Auburn University and brother of her childhood and lifelong friend and eventual sister-in-law Bonnie Bennett Rice. Mary followed Dan to Auburn where she worked various secretarial jobs at the university while he finished college. In 1970 Dan joined the Marine Corps and became a pilot. She would spend the next twenty-five years following Dan to his various duty assignments and was a devoted mother to their three children. The couple returned to their hometown of Pensacola in 1995 upon Dan’s retirement, where they would spend the rest of her life.

Mary always took great pride in her extended family (who called her by her childhood nickname “Libby” her whole life) and loved attending “Ludlum Luncheons” with her cousins at Norma’s Café. She was a devoted aunt to her nieces Brandi Rice Kozbiel of Pensacola, Jennifer Rice Gibbs of Atlanta, and Savannah Greene of New York City, and loved spending time with her great nieces and nephew Hillary Kozbiel, Nicholas Kozbiel, Caroline Gibbs, and Courtney Gibbs (who dubbed her “Head Mermaid” when they would swim in the pool together). Back in the mid 1980s she also had a very special love for who she called her “Fourth and Favorite Son”, Gunnery Sergeant “Bits”, an English Bulldog who adored his “Mama”. In 1972 she converted to Catholicism and remained a faithful member of the church for the rest of her life. She loved the beach, was a voracious reader, loved dancing at family weddings, a clean house, singing along to the radio, and was loved by all who came to know her.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the saintly staff of Emerald Coast Hospice for the extraordinary kindnesses they have shown her over the past year. We would also like to acknowledge the love and devotion we have for our wonderful cousins David Morgan and Patty Lou Morgan, their grandson Father Jacob Jaks, and our beloved Aunt Bonnie and cousin Brandi for the special attention they showed Mom not just this year, but her entire life. She was loved and she knew it. Words cannot express how much it has meant to us.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart with Father Jacob Jaks as celebrant. Interment will follow at Bayview Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until service time at the church Wednesday.

BAYVIEW FISHER-POU CHAPEL, 3351 Scenic Hwy entrusted with arrangements. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BayviewFisher-PouChapel.com for