Sheryl Bennett

Sheryl Lea Bennett of Worcester, Massachusetts, formerly a longtime resident of Lancaster and Groveton, New Hampshire, died unexpectedly on Friday, June 6th. She was 70.

She was predeceased by her parents, Doris Evelyn (Corrigan) Bennett, who died in 2013, and Curtis Willard Bennett, who died in 1963. She is survived by her brother Larry E. Bennett of Groveton; her sister Kathleen Bennett Scibelli and her husband John, both of Shrewsbury, Mass.; nephews Jonathan W. Bennett of Colebrook, N.H., Scott M. Bennett of Groveton, and Benjamin L. and Curtis J. Scibelli, both of Warren Vt.; her niece Brooke A. Scibelli and her partner Dyllan Nguyen, both of Boston; and grand-niece Carrington Elise of Whitefield, N.H. She also leaves numerous cousins and their families, lifelong friends from the Lancaster and Groveton communities, as well as many friends from the Colony III Retirement Home in Worcester, where she had lived since September 2012.

Sheryl was born April 28, 1955, in Weeks Memorial Hospital in Lancaster. She was a 1974 graduate of White Mountain Regional High School in Whitefield. She was a long-time parishioner of All Saints Church in Lancaster and later of St. Francis Xavier Church in Groveton, helping her mother, who played the organ at several churches in the area.

Sheryl was a prodigious letter writer, and she maintained many friendships that began early in life with letter writing when she and her mom moved to Massachusetts to be closer to her sister. A lifelong learner and reader, Sheryl became a regular user of Facebook and enjoyed how the social media platform allowed her to exchange regular updates with friends and family, many of whom are scattered around the country and the world. She also became a proficient user of Google Docs, which further facilitated her letter-writing efforts. Her enjoyment of staying in touch with friends and making new relationships resulted in her receiving more than 100 birthday cards when she turned 70. Colony residents surprised Sheryl with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday during dinner on the day of her birthday. Everyone in the dining room celebrated with a piece of birthday cake. Another highlight of the day that pleased Sheryl was a large birthday poster made by her home health aide, Liz Hill, whose care, commitment, love, and friendship to Sheryl will always be cherished by family members. So too will the many friendships of those at Colony who befriended Sheryl, who, after nearly 13 years, had become one of the most senior residents in the retirement community despite being one of the younger residents. Sheryl could be found in the front row at the weekly Mass celebrations, reading newspapers in the library, or playing Bingo in the dining room. She will be missed by her friends at Colony.

Calling Hours will be held on Sunday, August 3rd from 5-7pm at Bailey Funeral Home. A Mass will follow at 11am on Monday, August 4th at All Saints Catholic Church. Sheryl will then be laid to rest with her mother and father at the Summer Street Cemetery in Lancaster. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Sheryl’s name to the Colony Retirement Homes, 101 Chadwick St., Worcester, MA 01605; or to All Saints Church, Main Street, Lancaster, N.H. 03584.