Frederick J. Bennett

November 12, 1932 – November 3, 2012

Frederick Jonathan Bennett passed away on Saturday, November 3, 2012. Fred was born on November 12, 1932, in Lowell, Massachusetts to Frederick Jonathan Bennett, Sr. and Agnes Roe Bennett. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1954 and was commissioned into the United States Army as a First Lieutenant. After completing Ranger training at Ft. Benning, Georgia he was sent to Ft. Ord in Monterey, California as a weapons instructor. While at Ft. Ord he was fortunate enough to be selected to appear as a weapons instructor in the Tab Hunter/Natalie Wood movie, “The Girl He Left Behind”. In 1956 Fred was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and began his long- term career in fund raising as Alumni Fund Director at the University of New Hampshire. In 1962 he married Patricia Furr in Hartsville, South Carolina. Fred then spent the years from 1960 through 1967 working for professional fund raising firms, focusing on major capital campaigns. In 1967 Fred was recruited, as a result of a successful fundraising campaign in Omaha, Nebraska, to become the Senior Vice President of the Omaha National Bank. During this period Fred and Pat became the parents of three sons, Michael Jonathan, Paul Andrew, and David Patrick.

In 1978 Fred became Vice President of the University of Nebraska Foundation. While at the University of Nebraska Foundation he surpassed the $25 million national capital campaign goal to raise a total of $55 million. Surpassing campaign goals was to become Fred’s trade mark. In 1980 he accepted a position at the University of Connecticut as President of the University of Connecticut Foundation and Director of Development for the University. In that leadership role he launched a $25 million, five-year capital campaign that concluded two years early at $52 million. In 1990 Fred accepted a position as Vice President for University Affairs at the University of Oklahoma to lead Development, Alumni Relations, Legislative Relations, Special Events, and Media Services. When Fred was hired in 1990 the University of Oklahoma’s $100 million Centennial Campaign was drawing to a close with approximately $80 million accumulated. Under Fred’s direction the University brought in another $70 million within the next year and closed the campaign at $150 million. In 1995 Fred accepted a position as Vice President for University Relations at the University of Texas at Arlington, a short-lived position when a new President arrived shortly thereafter and brought his own leadership team. In 1996, Fred married Marcia Moore Morris and moved to Oklahoma City. Fred completed his fund raising career as Vice President for Development at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. There he coordinated the planning of OMRF’s $100 million, five-year capital campaign until his retirement in 2000.

Fred is survived by his wife, Marcia of Oklahoma City, his sister Barbara Bennett Elter of Oklahoma City, sons and families: Michael and Kati Bennett, Colleen, Tim, and Stephen of Greenwich, Connecticut; Paul and Dana Bennett, Grace and Nora of Rochester, New York; and David Bennett of Washington, D.C. Nieces and nephews: Justin and Shannon Moore Rossetter, Dreyton, Carter, and Pierce of Golden, Colorado; Shane Moore of Denver, Colorado, and Brittany Moore and Harlow of Denver, Colorado. Special family, Mrs. Elizabeth Brown and Valerie Williams of Oklahoma City. And he will always be remembered by many, many friends and former colleagues who loved and admired Fred for the wonderful, gracious, and kind man he was.

A special thanks to the care giving staff at Legend at Council Road Memory Care/Reflections, especially to Nicole Williams and Barbara Strickland for their devotion to Fred and the other Reflections’ residents. Their lives were made so much better by the warmth and kindness of these two remarkable women.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church at N.W. 50th and Grove on Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. The mass will be followed by a celebration of Fred’s life at the home of Fred and Marcia at 4722 Memory Lane. Visitation will occur at the Guardian Funeral Home West Chapel, 5820 N.W. 41st on Wednesday, November 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the University of New Hampshire Foundation to the Fred J Bennett Scholarship fund, 9 Edgewood Rd. Durham, New Hampshire. 03824.