Goodbye to ‘good bloke’
Palmerston North identity Dave Bennett is remembered as a man with strong views and a big heart – and yesterday the crowd that mourned him matched that as about 1000 people gathered at his funeral.
The accountant and former RACE and Manawatu Racing Club chairman died at the weekend while taking part in the Taupo Epic Swim.
At his funeral yesterday, mourners filled All Saints Church and its adjoining hall.
Mr Bennett’s wife, Estelle, said the week leading up to her husband’s death, when the family had been on holiday, had been one of their happiest times together. This week had been the saddest. His sister, Sally Stuart, said her brother ‘‘loved life and he loved people’’. There were no shades of grey with him, she said, and he was not afraid to speak his mind.
‘‘Whenever you were with him you couldn’t help but have a good time. He always had an amazing story, an opinion on everything and everyone, and a huge array of adjectives to describe them.’’
She told stories of playing cowboys and Indians as children and of more recent family holidays.
Mrs Stuart said her brother’s wife, who he affectionately called ‘‘Lucky’’, was the perfect match for him. She told Mr Bennett’s four daughters, Sarah, 18, Ruby, 13, Maddie, 11, and Eve, 9, that their dad was proud of them. Each had inherited traits from their father, she said.
‘‘We will all have wonderful memories that will make us laugh and will make us cry, and we are going to watch him live on in his four beautiful daughters.’’
Mr Bennett served on the Sport Manawatu board for five years and was a supporter of numerous clubs and charities. He was chairman of the Endeavour Community Trust for many years and was succeeded last year by Guy Sargent, his cousin.
Mr Sargent said yesterday that he would never have a better mate than Mr Bennett. He shared stories from their youth and of Mr Bennett’s days flatting as a Massey University student.
He spoke about Mr Bennett’s love of horse racing, a passion he devel- oped at an early age. ‘‘Dave’s greatest love was obviously his family, but a close second equal were his friends and racing.’’
Friend Jonathan Wallace said Mr Bennett had ‘‘tremendous compassion’’.
This was evidenced last year when Mr Bennett and two friends were injured when an elderly woman drove into them at Auckland Airport. Mr Bennett forgave the driver and had accepted an invi- tation to have lunch with her. He was disappointed when she was charged with careless driving.
Mr Wallace said it was amazing not only how many people Mr Bennett knew but how he knew something about all of them.
‘‘He was honest, he was genuine, he was loyal and trustworthy. So are many people, but they didn’t have the effect that David had. If David came into the room, instantly it would be a better room to be in.’’