John Leighton Bennett

John L. Bennett aka Jack of Cedaredge passed on 9/27/2022. Jack was born July 3, 1927 and grew up in Hartford CT. He spent a short time in the Army Air Corps after high school then graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BS degree in engineering. He spent a few years as a structural engineer in NYC and Northern New Jersey, then moved to Denver, CO where he met his wife to be Mary Maxine Gibson aka Max. They had 2 children Dennis and Nancy, 4 grandchildren Chris and Lisa Bennett and David and Daniel Kipp and also 4 great grandchildren Jace, Emma, Tyler and Thomas. In Denver Jack held positions of equipment promotion and sales for several local companies. Then to round out his career Jack was fortunate to spend many satisfying years as a mechanical design engineer, first with a consulting firm in Denver, then 20 years with the US Bureau of Reclamation followed by 3 years with the National Park Service both in Lakewood, CO before retiring in 1988. After retirement Jack and Max moved to Montrose, Paonia and eventually Cedaredge on the Colorado western slope. Before his stroke in 2015 he enjoyed swimming in lakes, hiking in the West Elk Wilderness, and the Grand Mesa with his favorite dog Zeek one and later with the local hiking group. He also enjoyed ATVing with friends, cross country skiing, fishing on the Grand Mesa and gardening and landscaping his home in the woods North of Cedaredge. Jack was preceded in death by his wife Max who drifted away with Alzheimer’s in December of 2001, his son Dennis, daughter Nancy and his good friends Carl, Wayne, Bernie, John and Mel. Jack is survived by his grandchildren and great grandchildren who all live on the Eastern Slope of Colorado near Denver. Jack's ashes will be interned with his wife at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.