Robert Glenn Bennett

P. Dean Homer Funeral Home A. Kay Welles Homer, Supervisor 1 Grovedale Lane RR02 Box 5-A Wyalusing, Pennsylvania 18853 Tel 570 746-1444 Fax 570 928-8116 Email pdh@epix.net April 19, 2008 Robert Glenn Bennett, age 74, of Camarillo, CA passed away peacefully at home April 24, 2008, after a lengthy illness with his family near his side. Always the fighter, even during his last day with us, was making plans to get up and get things done. He was born Dec. 30, 1933, in Bradford County, Pa., to Glenn F. and Florence M. Bennett of Laceyville, Pa. He was raised on the family's fourth-generation dairy farm and learned the true meaning of a hard day's work. After graduating from high school there, he accepted an appointment to West Point Military academy, where he attended two years. After leaving West Point, he attended Penn State University, and then moved to California in 1954 to complete his degree at Long Beach State, where he met his wife to be, Myrna Foley, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He subsequently went to work for Vickers Aerospace Hydraulics in Long Beach as a purchasing agent and then found employment more to his liking in the construction industry. In 1965, he negotiated with John Coggins of C & W Fence Co. in Ventura and purchased that business. Now that he had ownership of his own firm, he put his sharp wit and inherent business skills to work, and the company expanded quickly. In 1972, he founded Ventura Fence Co., known today as Fence Factory Corp., which quickly expanded even further. At the time of his death, with his family also at the grindstone, his enterprises include approximately 200 employees (some of whom stayed with him more than 30 year) and 12 divisions, including Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. As a local contractor, he oversaw the completion of several regional landmarks such as the pedestrian/bike paths on Harbor Boulevard and on Channel Islands Boulevard over the Channel Islands Harbor, Pasadena's historic Colorado Street Bridge, The Ojai Trail, River Ridge Golf Course, Rincon Freeway and Glendale Freeway Fencing Projects. He received the Associated General Contractors California Constructor of the Year award in 1989 for innovation in technique or materials for the Channel Islands Harbor bike/pedestrian path. His passions for life included anything from a good poker game or chess game to wrapping himself around a good history book, especially if it was an accurate accounting of World War II as we grew up hearing news clips and radio reports of the battles and it always appealed to him as a strategist. He was also known for his trips to the casino and especially enjoyed any vacation or getaway that included his family. From the late 1960s through the late 1980s, he served on the board of directors for International Fence Industry Association (which later became the American Fence Association), EGCA (Engineering and Grading Contractors Association) and AGC (Associated General Contractors). He knew that there was benefit to heavy involvement in the trade associations and devoted a lot of energy in doing so. As a result, he received awards and recognition from each association in which he was involved, including but not limited to chairmanships, committee leaders and board of directors positions. He was preceded in death by his mother and father and his daughter-in-law, Nicci Bennett of Ventura. He will be greatly missed by many friends and associates as well as his wife of 49 years, Myrna of Camarillo; sons, Michael of Ventura, Steven (wife Holly), Charles (wife Cindy); daughter, Laurie, all of Camarillo; stepdaughters, Cherie Schmid (husband Paul) of Ojai and Charlene Alsup of Oxnard; brothers, Dr. John (wife Regna) of Atlanta, Ga., and James of Columbus, Ohio; sister, Susanne Sagreti (husband Alfred) of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren, U.S. Army Spc. 4 Brian, Glenn, Julie, Justin, Samantha, Karen, Christopher, Bryan and Noah; as well as two great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held on Monday, May 5, 2008 at 11:00 A.M. at the Beaver Meadows United Methodist Church with the Rev. Diane E. Prentice, officiating. Interment will in the family plot in the adjoining church cemetery. To send condolences or sign the e-guestbook, please go to homerfuneralhome.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robert Glenn Bennett, please visit our flower store.