Kathleen Eleanor Nestor Bennett
March 25, 1922 ~ December 30, 2017
Kathleen (Katie) Eleanor Nestor Bennett passed away at the Falcons Landing Johnson Center in
Sterling Virginia on December 30, 2017 after suffering multiple strokes and the gradual progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Katie was proceeded in death by her parents Kathleen Grimes Nestor and John Jay Nestor I, her brother
John Jay Nestor II, sister Nancy Nestor Bakewell and her husband, U. S. Navy Ret. Capt. Walter Francis Vincent Bennett.
Katie was born in Harrisburg PA, moved to Philadelphia PA as a child and her family relocated to New Rochelle NY when she was twelve years of age.
Katie graduated from New Rochelle High School and attended a two-year Secretarial Business School. She worked as a model and was the medical secretary to surgeon Dr Howard Patterson, in New York City which gave her an increased appreciation for health and nutrition.
Katie was swept off her feet by a handsome young Naval officer, Named Walter Francis Vincent Bennett, who hailed from Hastings on the Hudson. When asked if she’d like to travel the world with him, she answered with a resounding yes.
Katie had an adventuresome spirit and never knew a stranger. She proved to be the consummate Navy wife.
Katie enjoyed encouraging the ship’s crew, took high line rides between ships and learned how to whistle the bosun’s pipe.
She helped shepherd the other Navy wives and their families, while leading them throughout Europe while following the ship from port to port.
Katie led the way without the benefit of travel agents, cell phones or computers. On occasion, they got misdirected and waylaid. In which case, they discovered more treasures and made more friends!
Katie was a vivacious strawberry blonde, who embraced people of every nation and culture. As an avid reader and gourmet cook, she relished sampling newly discovered culinary delicacies.
As a cook and hostess, she was ahead of her time. She eschewed artificial food colorings, additives, and processed food products, ... anything that came in a box.
She was known to go into the kitchens of famous restaurants and pry treasured recipes from award winning chefs. They were putty in her hands.
Katie was an organ teacher and later worked for The Agency. Katie was a competitive duplicate bridge player, who acted in community theatre productions and painted landscapes in her spare time.
Katie is remembered with love by two daughters Elizabeth (Betsy) Bennett Startari Lurey and Kathleen Bennett Schweiker, by ex-sons in law Jodi Startari, and Al Lurey and son in law Malcolm Coleman Schweiker.
Katie will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Amy Elizabeth Startari, Mollie Kathleen Lurey, Allison Annemarie Lurey Nixon & grandson in law Gwinn Nixon. Malcolm Bennett Schweiker, Ryan Christopher Schweiker and granddaughter in law Sarah Stephan Schweiker Patrick Coleman Schweiker, Kevin Christian Schweiker and fiancé
Lindsey Jane Auer, Collin Richard Schweiker, Sean Michael Schweiker, and Garrett Vincent Schweiker.
Katies legacy includes her great grandchildren, Ava Claire Schweiker, Brynn Elizabeth Schweiker & Hudson Christopher Schweiker
A Funeral Mass will be held at Fort Meyer Chapel Old Post Chapel at 2:45 pm on July 9, 2018.
Interment will follow immediately after at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Folds of Honor, a not for profit organization that provides scholarships for the children and spouses of fallen or disabled military personnel.
Sterling Virginia on December 30, 2017 after suffering multiple strokes and the gradual progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Katie was proceeded in death by her parents Kathleen Grimes Nestor and John Jay Nestor I, her brother
John Jay Nestor II, sister Nancy Nestor Bakewell and her husband, U. S. Navy Ret. Capt. Walter Francis Vincent Bennett.
Katie was born in Harrisburg PA, moved to Philadelphia PA as a child and her family relocated to New Rochelle NY when she was twelve years of age.
Katie graduated from New Rochelle High School and attended a two-year Secretarial Business School. She worked as a model and was the medical secretary to surgeon Dr Howard Patterson, in New York City which gave her an increased appreciation for health and nutrition.
Katie was swept off her feet by a handsome young Naval officer, Named Walter Francis Vincent Bennett, who hailed from Hastings on the Hudson. When asked if she’d like to travel the world with him, she answered with a resounding yes.
Katie had an adventuresome spirit and never knew a stranger. She proved to be the consummate Navy wife.
Katie enjoyed encouraging the ship’s crew, took high line rides between ships and learned how to whistle the bosun’s pipe.
She helped shepherd the other Navy wives and their families, while leading them throughout Europe while following the ship from port to port.
Katie led the way without the benefit of travel agents, cell phones or computers. On occasion, they got misdirected and waylaid. In which case, they discovered more treasures and made more friends!
Katie was a vivacious strawberry blonde, who embraced people of every nation and culture. As an avid reader and gourmet cook, she relished sampling newly discovered culinary delicacies.
As a cook and hostess, she was ahead of her time. She eschewed artificial food colorings, additives, and processed food products, ... anything that came in a box.
She was known to go into the kitchens of famous restaurants and pry treasured recipes from award winning chefs. They were putty in her hands.
Katie was an organ teacher and later worked for The Agency. Katie was a competitive duplicate bridge player, who acted in community theatre productions and painted landscapes in her spare time.
Katie is remembered with love by two daughters Elizabeth (Betsy) Bennett Startari Lurey and Kathleen Bennett Schweiker, by ex-sons in law Jodi Startari, and Al Lurey and son in law Malcolm Coleman Schweiker.
Katie will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Amy Elizabeth Startari, Mollie Kathleen Lurey, Allison Annemarie Lurey Nixon & grandson in law Gwinn Nixon. Malcolm Bennett Schweiker, Ryan Christopher Schweiker and granddaughter in law Sarah Stephan Schweiker Patrick Coleman Schweiker, Kevin Christian Schweiker and fiancé
Lindsey Jane Auer, Collin Richard Schweiker, Sean Michael Schweiker, and Garrett Vincent Schweiker.
Katies legacy includes her great grandchildren, Ava Claire Schweiker, Brynn Elizabeth Schweiker & Hudson Christopher Schweiker
A Funeral Mass will be held at Fort Meyer Chapel Old Post Chapel at 2:45 pm on July 9, 2018.
Interment will follow immediately after at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Folds of Honor, a not for profit organization that provides scholarships for the children and spouses of fallen or disabled military personnel.
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When we were young children visiting Aunt Katie and Uncle Walter in Annapolis back in 1968 or so, all of the kids got pots, pans, and spoons to “drum” with one night in a parade procession around the dining room table where the adults were seated. My sister Susan, who was about 5 at the time, was given an expensive China dinnner plate to bang on (not sure what other kid made that wise decision). Sure enough, she hit the plate too hard and broke it, whereupon she immediately burst into tears, sure that she was about to be punished. In a nanosecond after Susan started crying, Aunt Katie picked up an identical plate and smashed it against the edge of the table, breaking it into many pieces. Susan, stunned, stopped crying and stared at her with her mouth agape. Katie looked right at her with a smile on her face and yelled “I never liked these plates anyway!!!” Now that’s a story that perfectly illustrates the force of nature that was Katie – genuine, kind, spontaneous, and hilarious. No one like her. We miss her greatly. -Hughes Bakewell
Fun times with Aunt Katie
It was April or May 1968 when I first met Mrs Bennett In Gaeta, Italy. I was working for her husband, Captain Bennett, the Captain of the USS Little Rock. Mrs. Bennett was a fantastic lady. I was 19 years old at the time with a family of my own back in the states. She knew I was having a hard time with that and went out of her way to help me . Well , after a short time she took me under her wings and started treating me as a son, I became part of the Bennett family in my eyes. I was invited to birthday parties and other events, including Christmas 1968. I remember helping the family move into this new apartment building which we called the Purple Palace. Three flights of stairs and a elevator that might hold one chair. It was a challenge but with a bunch of Marines we got the job done. The kids, well the girls were there also, could not have got it done without them. I was blessed to have been treated as part of the family and to have known this wonderful family. Mrs. Bennett was an Angel in my eyes. We stayed in touch for all these years , seeing each other on occasion, a couple of times at her retirement home and again at the Marine Corps Museum along with several other Marines who served in Gaeta and were close to the Bennetts.’ I will miss ( MOM) , but I know she is now home with the other Angels. God bless Betsy and Kathy and their families. Love Lance