Elizabeth Bennett, known to all as "Betty," left this world on February 24, 2024. She passed peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family. As she often put it, she "would have been 91."
Betty was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 19th, 1933 to Maryann and Francis Longmore, the youngest of four. She graduated from Prospect Heights High School and worked as a secretary in a Manhattan law office before meeting and marrying her husband, Richard Bennett. The couple had two daughters and spent nearly ten years together running a candy store and raising their family in Brooklyn.
In 1971, at the age of 38, Betty relocated her life and family to Bradenton, Florida, the place she called home for more than fifty years. She and Richie had a house built in Bayshore Gardens and she bought and operated The Cottage Beauty Salon on Main Street in Sarasota. Later, she semi-retired to a waitressing position with the Clock Restaurant, where her magnetic personality attracted regular customers and forever friends.
Betty and Richie shared many happy years together, vacationing regularly to Siesta Key and playing an active role in the lives of their grandchildren. Even after Richie's passing in 2010, Betty continued to foster an active social life and found herself traveling and experiencing many lifetime 'firsts' well into her 80's.
Betty loved life, her hold on it was tenacious and she found joy and contentment in the every day of it. She was frank, yet kind; tough, but generous and to have her in your life was to have her on your team. Betty stuck with her relationships and was always rooting for the people she loved, even if she disagreed with them. Her unique perspective, distinct Brooklyn accent and easy laugh made her an unforgettable character to everyone who knew her. Even in her final days, her humor, strength and humility shone through.
Betty will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by so many. She leaves a legacy of love for her surviving family, her children, Maureen (Matthew) Morris and Barbara Bennett; her grandchildren, Tara (Kevin) Segall, Zachary (Abby) Morris and Amanda Kurland and her cherished nieces and nephews and their families. She is preceded in death by her husband, Richard, her siblings and many dear friends.
To fulfill her wishes, Betty's family has scattered her ashes, along with her husband's in the Gulf of Mexico, where their spirits may rejoin and take new shapes. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 26th Street Chapel, 5624 26th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34207, is in charge of the arrangements.
