Phyllis Terry Bennett

Phyllis Terry Bennett passed away on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the age of 85. When she and her parents moved to Shreveport in 1951 from St. Louis, Missouri, she attended Southfield School for three years of junior high and then enrolled in C.E. Byrd High School until their move to New Orleans where she was a graduate of Louise S. McGehee School. Phyllis was Queen of Hermes in 1961, the year after her father served as King. She joined a large contingent of Shreveport girls enjoying summers at Camp Mystic on the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. She was a graduate of Hollins College with a degree in psychology and was employed by the Orleans Parish School Board testing students. She was a past member of Shreveport Rose Stitchery Guild and thus a member of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. Her initial interest in needlepoint led her to study a antique samplers during several trips to England, Scotland, Switzerland, and Germany. Accompanied by friends and family from New Orleans and Shreveport, she enjoyed traveling and cruising in Alaska, Europe, and the Caribbean. She was a fervent reader with a cat in her lap. Phyllis was a skilled Life Master Bridge player in which she enjoyed the competition immensely. She was a member of the Semreh Club, Metairie Country Club, Southern Yacht Club, and the American Contract Bridge League. Phyllis is preceded in death by her husband, M. Nelson Bennett whom she married on July 21, 1964. Her parents Raymond V. Terry and Claudia Whiting Terry. She is survived by her son Christopher D. Bennett his wife Stefanie Breland Bennett; grandchildren Breland Anne Bennett and Jordan Nelson Bennett. A private service was held. For those so desiring donations may be made in her memory to St. Francis Animal Sanctuary, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or a charity or organization of personal significance.