Wilburn “Ben” Bennett, 84, of Inyokern, California, passed away peacefully into eternity on August 5, 2023. He was born in Sterling, Oklahoma, on January 1, 1939, the son of Euel Bennett and Hazel Dickson. He graduated High School in 1957 and promptly joined the US Navy.
Ben completed boot camp in Astoria, Oregon, before shipping out to Hawaii from 1958-1960.
He married his first wife, Mary Ann (Mollie) Bennett and moved to California following the completion of his military service with a new baby girl, Amy. The job market was difficult and the family then moved to Anadarko, Oklahoma, to be near family. Son Michael Patrick and daughter Elizabeth Ann were born in Oklahoma before moving back to California, where son Dan was born.
Ben worked as a mechanic for Kerr McGee from 1977 to 1999, when he retired. During that time, he met and married Linda Lafromboise (his sweetie)on April 13, 1990. They sold their California home in 2006 and bought an RV to travel the US for several years before staying in Jacksonville, Texas and finally moving to Inyokern.
In his early years, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing and bowling. He also did woodworking and was quite a handyman. Later, he enjoyed taking walks with his dog, Gia, watching sports, traveling with his wife Linda and spending time with family.
Ben is preceded in death by his wife, Linda Bennett; daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” Jameson; and son, Michael Patrick Bennett and former wife, Mollie Bennett.
Left to cherish Ben’s memory are: daughter, Amy and husband Jim; son, Dan and wife Michele; Misty and Chris Pate, Tom Franks and Mark Franks; 19 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, Ben requested donations be sent to St. Jude’s.
A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for Ben at the USO in Ridgecrest, California, on September 29, from 10 a.m. to noon.