Naomi Bender

I was born and brought up in the New Haven, Connecticut area and completed high school in Hamden, Connecticut. Early in school I decided on a nursing career and enrolled in Grace New Haven School of Nursing, graduating as a Registered Nurse.

World War II dominated the times and I was a War Bride. Bob Bender and I married while he was in the Navy, after a courtship of four years while we were students. This was the beginning of our travels.

Brooklyn, New York, where Bob was stationed was our first abode. I joined the staff of the Long Island College Hospital and gained a new experience traveling the subway. Next came a jump to Asheville, North Carolina to be an operating room nurse at St. Josephs Hospital. We left Ashville to go back home to Connecticut where our first daughter, Susan, was born and subsequently five years later a daughter, Carol, was born.

Dallas, Texas was next in offering opportunities. After many years, the State of Texas became home. I started my geriatric experience as Director of Nurses at Golden Acres, a new and progressive retirement center for the aged. A move to Wichita Falls, Texas provided me with a faculty experience at the Wichita Falls Hospital School of Nursing.

An international move brought again a new nursing experience. We went to San Jose, Costa Rica to a language school for Spanish, to prepare us for an assignment in Caracas, Venezuela. This time as a volunteer in a children's orthopedic hospital, I coordinated departments of nursing and occupational therapy.

Eventually, we found our way back to our home in Texas, were have been blessed by so many wonderful friends. New experiences came every day in our retirement years. Trips by car and air travel from one coast to the other. We also enjoyed many cruises. I even attempted to learn and play golf.

My greatest inheritance was my good fortune in acquiring a most satisfying family and my cherished and devoted husband of 65 years, Bob Bender, two fine daughters and two exceptional sons-in-law, Susan and Rocky Wilcox of Lakeway, TX and Carol and Shawn Smith of Horseshoe Bay, TX. Along with eight grandchildren, Robert and Shelly Wilcox, Kim VanCleave, Tricia Wilcox, Tysun and Nevin McKay, Kelly and Jon Hardy, Dana and Dan Wilson, Shawn and Beverly Smith and Susan Smith. Additionally I have ten great grandchildren; Coleton, Reece, Kate, Teddy, Nevin, Naomi, Kieran, Tatum, Quinn and Virginia.

Naomi's life will be celebrated at The Lakeway Church, 2203 Lakeway Blvd., on Friday March, 28th at 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Lakeway Church. A reception at the church will follow.

"Life has so much to offer us if we take advantage of it, while we are able."