Lawrence Dwight Bennett

Lawrence Dwight Bennett, 73, passed away on October 16, 2023. He was born to Lester & Leona (Kuester) Bennett on November 12, 1949, in Waimea on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Larry lived in the islands until May of 1958 when his family moved permanently to the mainland. Larry attended Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA, majoring in math and French; he also spent a year in France at Collonges.

In early 1972, The Seventh-day Adventist church sent Larry as a missionary to French-speaking Zaire in Africa where he worked as a math/science teacher in French. In December 1973 he returned to the states to marry Phyllis Mohr whom he had previously known. They both returned to Zaire until 1974.

When they returned from Africa, they settled in Redlands, CA, where Larry taught math at Redlands Junior Academy. They divorced in January 1979. Larry decided to move to the Central Valley and change careers. He studied and worked with computers and was hired as a Technical Analyst/Programmer at KKI Corp, a computer firm in Modesto, CA. He remained working at KKI for over 30 years.

Larry met Diane at KKI Corp and they were married on September 18, 1981. That same day, Larry became a father to Jason, whom he adopted, to become their oldest son. In 1982, their daughter, Lisa, was born and their son, Jonathan, followed in 1983.

From 1988 to 1997, the family opened their home to foster children. When one of their foster daughters left in 1993, they took guardianship of her 2-year-old child who had been with them since she was 3 months old. In 1995, when her adoption was final, Tiffany, became their fourth child, completing their family.

From 1990-2000, the family lived in La Grange, CA east of Modesto where they built their own home. In 2000, they moved to Riverbank in the Modesto area to be nearer to both sets of parents. Diane’s mom moved in with them in 2005 after her dad passed away.

In 2011, Larry was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. He had a liver transplant in June 2011, however, during the next 4 months the new liver was failing, so they moved to Napa while waiting for a second transplant, which occurred in October 2011. With many follow ups in San Francisco, they decided to make Napa their permanent home.

As Larry continued to improve, he oversaw the care of his parents. In 2014, Larry’s mom passed away and in 2015 Di’s mom passed. In 2021 Larry’s dad moved into their home, until he passed the following year in 2022.

Larry and Diane celebrated their 42nd anniversary on a road trip back east. They headed out on August 27, 2023, and returned home about 4 weeks later on September 26. Larry could now claim he had been to every contiguous state in the U.S., and he was so excited to see many new places, especially the Grand Canyon. Three weeks later, he was gone.

Larry was the “go to” person for anything related to computers (PCs). He loved to sing and listen to music, especially Hawaiian, African, and Classical. He was full of love for his children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, parents, and siblings, and would help anyone who needed him. He was generous with his time and always willing to lend a hand. He loved to read and spend time in his garden and work with his plants. He has left his imprint on our hearts.

Larry is survived by his wife, Diane of Napa, CA; son, Jason Bennett of American Canyon, CA; son, Jonathan Bennett of Springfield, OR; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa & Aaron Page of Billings, MT; daughter and son-in-law, Tiffany & Miguel Mendez of Napa, CA; brother, Lyle Bennett; sister, Lynette Kinsey; and nine grandchildren.

A graveside service for Lawrence will be held Friday, November 24, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Lakewood Memorial Park, 900 Santa Fe Ave, Hughson, CA 95326.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.LakewoodHughson.com for the Bennett family.