Martha Lawson Bennett

Martha grew up in Middlebourne, WV, where she was an active member of the West Virginia 4H Club and a graduate of Tyler County High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in Home Economics at West Virginia University. During her time at WVU, she met James Floyd Bennett of Morgantown. They married in July 1964.

The couple raised two sons, James Floyd Bennett Jr. (Jamey) and John Thomas Bennett in Berkeley Heights, NJ. Martha relocated to Naples, FL in 2004, drawn by the warm weather and the proximity of her twin sister, Mary Limont.

Martha enjoyed a career as a legal assistant, most recently with law firm Cheffy Passidomo in Naples, retiring in 2014. Her retirement years were marked by her passion for cooking, sailing, and traveling. She enjoyed cruises with her partner, Wayne Reffke, and various trips with her sisters and friends. A lover of the beach and beachcombing, Martha was an active member of the Marco Island Shell Club. She channeled this interest into creating and selling jewelry, often featuring shells, with her work showcased at Peach Tree Designs in Naples and gallery shows at the Marco Island Center for the Arts.

Martha was known to family and friends as fun, funny, strong-minded, and always genuinely interested in hearing about the lives of the people around her. She enjoyed and cherished many decades-long friendships. As a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, neighbor, or friend, she will be deeply missed.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence Oswald Lawson and Doris Feeley Lawson; her ex-husband James; her brother-in-law Mark Limont (Chub); and her partner of 14 years, Wayne Reffke. She is survived by her sister Sarah Hahn and her husband David; her twin sister Mary Limont; her sons James and John; her niece Susan Millay; her nephews Andrew Dickson, Matthew Hahn, Michael Hahn, and Benjamin Hahn; and her grandchildren Eleanor Bennett, Gale Bennett, James Floyd Bennett III (Trip), and Edward Bennett (Teddy).

Martha's family and friends will hold a private celebration of her life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Avow Hospice & Palliative Care in Naples, FL, in gratitude for the excellent and compassionate care they provided during her final weeks (https://avowcares.org/ways-to-give/), or the Marco Island Shell Club (https://www.marcoislandshellclub.com/).