Bonnie Bean Bennett

Bonnie Bean Bennett of Jaffrey, New Hampshire died at her home peacefully on June 24, 2021 surrounded by her family. The second child of Vernon James Bean and Evelyn Evans Bean, she was born on November 6, 1941, in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised in Jaffrey. Bonnie graduated from Our Lady of Monadnock Academy, and attended Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she studied art. In 1963 she married Robert Edward Bennett of Rocky Mount, North Carolina where they made their home with their two sons before returning to Jaffrey in 1981.

Bonnie obtained her General Contractor license in North Carolina and worked with her husband Robert designing and building custom homes. Bonnie loved working in her garden, where she grew a rotating variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers. A beautiful tennis player, she was known for her fierce forehand and unwillingness to play net. As an artist, Bonnie carved wooden sculptures, and created imaginative and unique hand-built ceramic pots and vessels. She brought her own style and a keen eye to everything she undertook. A lover of all animals (except snakes), she doted on her dogs and was adored by them in return. She loved trying new recipes and playing bridge with her friends in the “bridge group.” Other than being in her studio, garden, or walking her dogs, Bonnie’s favorite place was Prince Edward Island.

Bonnie was a quiet and generous supporter of area service organizations including the Jaffrey Civic Center, Crotched Mountain Foundation, the Monadnock Humane Society, and was a member of the Bean Family Foundation.

She was pre-deceased by her husband Robert in 1997, and her brother William Evans Bean in 2010. She is survived by her sons Christopher Benjamin Bennett of Jaffrey, and Jeffrey Bean Bennett of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, stepson Robert Yelverton Bennett of Richmond, Virginia, sister-in-law Helen Rayner Bean of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and her sister Laura Bean Redmond and her husband Michael of Peterborough, New Hampshire, as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, and her loyal companion Jazz.

A gathering of family and friends will hold a graveside service at the Old Burial Ground next to the Meetinghouse in Jaffrey Center, New Hampshire on Thursday July 8 at 2 pm. Rev. David Felton of the First Church of Jaffrey will conduct the service.

In lieu of flowers the family invites you to make a donation to Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services in Keene, NH, or to the Monadnock Humane Society in Swanzey, NH in honor of Bonnie Bennett.