Shelly"" Hershella L. Bennett

November 12, 1946 - March 13, 2016

Shelly Bennett passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 13, 2016, in Grand Junction, CO, following a brief illness. She was 69.

Shelly was born in Grand Junction on November 12, 1946, to William and Margaret Hardin. She spent her childhood years there, graduated from Grand Junction High School in 1964 followed by classes at Mesa Junior College along with working at a local department store.

On August 27, 1965, she married Gary L. Bennett, also of Grand Junction, and the couple moved to Fort Collins, CO, where he graduated from Colorado State University. Upon graduation, they moved to Sidney, NE, and two years later returned to Fort Collins due to employment.

In Fort Collins, Shelly and a close friend bought and operated a fabric store, which fit in with her excellent sewing ability. When the store was sold, Shelly then worked in purchasing for the local school district.

Late in 1980 her husband accepted employment in Steamboat Springs, CO, and the family made the move in the early summer of 1981. There, Shelly worked at a local bank and Colorado Mountain College before accepting the office manager position for a dental practice.

In 1996, Shelly and her husband moved to the property they owned on Log Hill Mesa in northern Ouray County where Shelly oversaw the construction of their home while Gary continued working. That has remained their home since.

Not being afraid of new challenges, Shelly immediately set about transforming her yard into a flower garden that is the envy of many who do not understand how she got plants to grow that well in a mountain desert environment. At the same time, she made the home a comfortable and welcoming place for family and friends.

Shelly was a very gregarious person and, in spite of living fairly remotely on Log Hill, soon had friends all over the mesa and beyond, just as she did in Steamboat Springs and elsewhere. Over the years, she made trips with a group of her close lady friends to Hawaii, Chicago, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Florida and other locations.

She served several terms as president of Fortuna Tierra Club, a philanthropic group originally made up of ranch women in the area. She was active in the group's work, including multiple fund raising events to provide scholarships at Ridgway High School. She also in recent years had been accepted into P.E.O., a women's organization, and placed a high value on the organization and the people with whom she was associated.

Shelly's focus was always on her family. She loved her two sons unconditionally, and was absolutely devoted to the grandchildren they gave her, four granddaughters and a grandson. A day didn't go by that she wasn't thinking of what she could do for them. She especially enjoyed some family trips to the West Coast and Florida, and spending time with them at home or at the family cabin east of Meeker.

Following Gary's retirement late in 2012, Shelly thoroughly enjoyed a cruise to, and motorhome trip in, Alaska, a trip to Turkey with close friends where they toured inland and sailed in the Mediterranean, and the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary on San Juan Island with friends.

In addition to her husband, Shelly is survived by sons, Brian and Matthew and Matthew's wife, Heather; five grandchildren, including twin granddaughters Kimberlyn and Kailyn, a grandson, Tanner, and granddaughters Vivienne and Lilianna; siblings, Debra Crawford, Travis Hardin and John Hardin, and nieces and nephews. Shelly is preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Bill and Larry Hardin.

Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 19, 2016, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2900 Sunnyside Road, Montrose, CO, followed by a reception at the church hall. A quiet family service will be held on Friday afternoon at St. John's Episcopal Church, Ouray, where the Bennett's attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that contributions be made to Hope West, the hospice and palliative care organization serving the Grand Junction/Montrose/Ouray area, at 3090B North 12th Street, Grand Junction, CO 81506.