Reverend Dr. Marion D. Bennett Sr.

Reverend Dr. Marion D. Bennett, Sr. 80, of Las Vegas, NV passed away July 21, 2013, surrounded by his faithful daughter Karen. He was born May 31, 1933 to Bernice and Pauline Bennett in Piney Mountain, South Carolina, the fourth son of ten children. He was a 1953 graduate of Sterling High School, where he was the business manager of his Senior Class and the Editor of the Sterling High School yearbook. After graduating from Sterling he attended Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree and thereafter he attended Interdenominational Theological Center where he received a Masters of Divinity Degree and he received a Doctorate of Divinity Degree from Technical Institute of Biblical Studies. Reverend Bennett came to Zion United Methodist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 2, 1960 and continued to serve until 2003. In 2004 he was the founder of Zion Independent Methodist Church. He founded and operated Nevada’s oldest and lowest cost African American day care facility. Reverend Bennett served three terms as branch president of the NAACP, member of the Economic Opportunity Board for twenty years and Chairman of the Nevada Economic Development Company. He also served in the Nevada State Legislature from 1973 to 1983. He is survived by his daughter Judge Karen Bennett-Haron and her husband Fred of Las Vegas, Nevada, son, Marion Daniel Bennett, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia, three sisters, Elizabeth (Pinky) Smith (Ray) of San Jose, California, A. Patricia Baety (Edward) of Stone Mountain, Georgia; brothers Johnny Bennett of Washington, D.C. and Nelson Bennett (Edna) of Tallahassee, Florida, his grandchildren Noah and Nile Bennett and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his sister Margaret Bennett; brothers Willie Bennett, Harold Bennett, Eugene Bennett and Albert Lee Bennett. The wake service will be held on Monday, July 29, 2013 from 6:00 p.m.to 9:00 p.m.at Zion United Methodist Church 2108 Revere St., North Las Vegas, Nevada 89030. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Second Baptist Church 500 W. Madison Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada 89106.