Nances was born in Philadelphia to Mary Catharine and Paul Bennett in July, 1937. Early on, she developed a taste for adventure when she boarded, as a toddler in her mother’s arms, the S.S. Brazil and sailed to Buenos Aires, Argentina where her father had been transferred to work as an executive with RCA. Five years later they returned to the United States on a Pan Am DC 3 – a trip that took in those day, seven days -- and eventually settled in Moorestown, NJ. As a youth she spent many happy summers with her maternal grandparents and cousins at their cabin in the Poconos, and grew up to graduate from high school and get married.
She dedicated herself to her role as the wife of a U.S. Naval Officer and became a mother of two children, Bradley and Barbara. With her husband deployed more often than not, she assumed the role of both parents and still found time for others, regularly volunteering at her church and local charities as well as enrolling from time to time in community colleges wherever she lived in pursuit of higher education. Her time as a Naval Officer’s wife took her around the world, residing at different times in Southern California, Virginia, and London. During her second residency in London as a diplomat, she took a position in the U.S. Customs Office at the American Embassy on Grosvenor Square. She enjoyed the challenge of her job and went on to build her career at Customs upon her return to Washington, DC. Little did she know at the time this would be the catalyst that allowed her to pursue her lifetime desire to earn a degree in higher education, first, her undergraduate degree at Trinity College in Washington, DC and then ultimately a graduate degree from National Louis University. The abrupt end of her first marriage afforded her the opportunity to transfer within Customs to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where she also found more time to spend with her wonderful mother in her final years. It was also at this time she listened to the voice in her heart that had been calling for many years and became a member of the Catholic Church; a passion that never faded and for which she actively shared with everyone she encountered for the rest of her life.
During her years in Ft. Lauderdale she met and married Harry Duress. Then, retired from Customs at last, Nances reignited her love for adventure by leaving Ft Lauderdale behind and sailing the seas of the Caribbean with Harry. Their travels brought them ultimately to Vero Beach where they decided to settle in Grand Harbor. She continued to pursue her love of travel and adventure in seeing the world traveling with Harry, new friends and old friends but this time on much bigger boats.
It is important to mention throughout her life, Nances collected many true, lifelong friends, each one as dear to her as the other. She also loved her family, her children of course, but her Mother and Father, her maternal grandparents Leonard and Ruth, her Aunt Barbara and the history of her family held a special place in her heart. She took a little bit of pride in tracking down her ancestor on her father’s side, George Soule, (before it became commonplace to do so) who landed in Plymouth in 1620 and made Nances a Member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants as an 11th generation descendant. She loved animals, particularly her pug Darby, nonfiction books, classical music (she even learned to play her favorite instrument, the cello) walking on “the bridge” in the wee hours, tracking the Vero Beach sea turtle hatches and challenging herself to learn how to row, which she found invigorating and comical all at once.
Nances is survived by her husband, Harry, her son Bradley and his wife, Mary, her grandson Bennett and his wife Sarah and their two daughters, her daughter Barbara and her husband Kevin, their children Natalie and Matthew, her dear cousins Sue and Barbara Lee and her many loving friends.
A funeral mass will be held Saturday, March 2 at 11am at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 7550 26th Street, Vero Beach FL 32966.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Nances Marie Bennett to:
The American Lung Association lung.org
Or
St. John of the Cross Catholic Church
7550 26th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32966
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