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Gordon Bennett
(1926 - 2011)
Gordon Loomis Bennett, Born May 16, 1926, Died August 8, 2011
Son of Ralph and Muriel Bennett, descendants of several pioneer families of the Arroyo Grande Valley: Edward C. Loomis, J.N. Jatta, Frank E. Bennett, and Thomas Stevenson. His brother Jerry Bennett was 4 years older and preceded Gordon in death in 2001. The Bennett family home was at the top of Crown Hill, directly across from the Arroyo Grande Union High School (now Paulding Jr. High). His first cousins John and Richard Loomis lived nearby. Crown Hill was perfect for rolling down old car tires. With the Arroyo Grande Creek to their south and Bennett's Grocery close enough to share canned vienna sausages on their way to school, the boys along with their various dogs, 'Flaps', 'Pooch', 'Giltroy' and 'Wiggles', were lords of their kingdom.
High School was a busy time for Gordon. He excelled at tennis and loved football at AGUHS. His love for the game of football was cut short by the beginning of WW II, as most of the high school sports programs were dropped.
He was a Letterman and played trumpet in the high school band. When school staff encouraged the formation of activity clubs, Gordon and cousin John Loomis formed The Boococks Stamp Club, combining their love of both stamp collecting and comics. From the Popeye Comics, they adopted one of Wimpy's disguised characters, J. Wellington Boocock, as their club name. The Boococks of America were a semi-military club, in that Gordon and John declared themselves Generals, and the rest of the members were given military ranks. They printed membership cards, and not much was accomplished by the club, beyond having a fun time.
Gordon and John also took the time to borrow neighbor's chickens, hid the abducted birds under their coats, and turned them loose during love scenes at The Grande Theater on Branch St (now Posies). A cow ended up in the high school gym thanks to their enterprise. The 87 cow pies were noted by all, especially the Principal, Clarence Burrell.
John and Gordon learned to drive the Loomis feed mill trucks when they were twelve, by practicing on weekends. They learned to double-clutch when the grownups weren't looking. During high school years they worked at the feed mill on weekends and after school. They hauled and stacked hay, delivered feed and fertilizer to ranches and farms all over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Gordon graduated from AGUHS in 1944, and joined the Navy just before graduation. During the War, he was stationed in Hawaii and Guam, and was with Task Force 58 during the battle of Okinawa. After the War, he attended a year at the Santa Maria Junior College (now Hancock).
On leave from the Navy, he met a cute high school junior, Manetta Wildharber, walking down Crown Hill after class. They married in 1947. She was his life-long love, partner, companion, and friend. They had three children, Stan, Shirley, and Ken.
After the Navy, he worked first for the Loomis family at the feed mill, then along with his brother Jerry, at Bennett's Grocery, where he clerked and delivered groceries. In 1952 he joined E. C. Loomis & Sons Insurance with his uncle, Vard Loomis and businessman Bill Taylor. As the business grew he and his cousin-in-law Charlie Cabassi bought out the family portion and then moved the business to its present location on Traffic Way. Gordon retired from E.C. Loomis & Son Ins. in the 1990's.
As a local businessman, Gordon combined business with food. Plessas Tavern in Pismo Beach (now Guiseppe's) for many years was a weekly gathering place for local businessmen. Ernie Lazarus was the proprietor. Produce brokers, the gang from Pismo Oceano Vegetable Exchange, and Phelan & Taylor, lunched on clam chowder and crab salads at the bar and rolled dice (horse n' horse) (ship, captain, crew) (liar's dice) for the lunch tab, and again for cigars.
Mutt Anderson and Gordon hosted the Cherry Ave. Improvement Society at Mutt's quonset house on East Cherry Ave. in old town Arroyo, for many years in the 1960's and 1970's, for local businessmen, where ribs, bread & beer were served. Little business was conducted, but a good time was had by all.
Gordon and Manetta built their house on Allen St in 1955 on two acres in the old part of Arroyo Grande. The property was a portion of the old Pacific Coast Railway right of way, where sugar beets were loaded. He filled the property with 200 avocado trees. He and Manetta grafted, pruned, and picked avocados thoughout his life. For many years the Bennett family sold the avocados in their front yard using the honor system; a box of avocados, paper bags, with a big water bottle for payment. Naturally, he planted avocados because he loved to eat them - every day.
Gordon was fascinated by all things railroad. First as a child by watching, listening, and hitching rides on the caboose of the Pacific Coast Railway, at the foot of Crown Hill. As an adult he constructed his own railway speeder the 'The Tuolumne Scout'. The Bennett family rode the speeder on the oil pier at Avila, on a defunct rail line of the Westside Lumber Co. in Tuolumne, and on the Durango to Silverton Line in Colorado
He was a gifted imaginative storyteller and loved telling long corny jokes. Sitting in front of the fireplace at night, he created elaborate stories for his young children. Stan, Shirley, and Ken were always featured as heroes in the lengthy stories. They were always chasing the bank robber, Peg Leg Pete, or they were saving Mrs. Highpockets from General Flop Houser.
He was devoted to his three grandchildren. From birth they were floating up the Salinas River, or flying in the hot air balloon, or hiking the sand dunes with Grandpa.
Gordon had a vast collection of records; mornings he played Beethoven and Schubert, afternoons he switched to Souza marches, Johnny Cash, and Spike Jones. Evenings were reserved for Madam Butterfly, and The Tales of Hoffman, by Offenbach. He had a player piano and several antique pump organs. He played the trumpet and baritone horn and in the 1960's formed the Arroyo Grande Village German Band that played at local events. Members included Bob Tessitore, Lee Statom, Francis Fink, Haruo Hayashi, Olive Hoff, among others.
Gordon was a natural athlete. He was an avid hiker, camper, bicyclist, white water rafter, and hot air balloonist. He ballooned for close to 30 years and carried over one thousand passengers. Hundreds of locals were Gordon's passengers as they floated, in the rainbow colored 'Galatea' over Arroyo Grande, the Tar Springs Ranch, the Nipomo Mesa, the town of Halcyon, and hundreds of acres of California Valley. At the end of the flight, following balloon etiquette, first time passengers were christened on their bare heads with a handful of terra firma and a spritz of champagne. He sponsored local balloon/camping events in California Valley and volunteered tethered flights at fundraisers. The Bennett's also flew over Albuquerque, the Sierras, Mexico City, and in France (1989) in honor of the French Bi-Centennial, at the invitation of the French government.
Until this year, he played on the clay courts in Shell Beach with the Pismo Beach Tennis Association. He and Manetta attended as many Arroyo Grande High School sports programs, plus Cal Poly football and volleyball, and Cuesta team sports, as time allowed.
Another group led by Gordon, in the 1950's, were the Lopez Canyon Mountain Men. Gordon would take younger cousins and friends to Routzahn Park (now under Lopez Lake), to hike, camp, fish, and learn to be men. David Loomis, brothers John and Charlie Silva, Martin DeLeon, and Frank McGuire were a few of the Mountain Men.
In the early 1960's, Arroyo Grande lacked youth sports for girls, so he and Paul Sturges formed a girl's softball league, and Gordon coached and sponsored the Arroyo Grande Yellow Jackets, for many years. Some of the Yellow Jackets were Karen Marsalek, Wanda Campbell, Janet Maddux, and Debbie Phillips.
Gordon was a born collector. He was at heart a curator of collections with a slight tendency towards pack rat. In his youth he collected stamps and coins, later he expanded his interests to glass insulators, commemorative bricks, books, records, and antiques.
He and his cousin John starting seriously collecting local history in the 1960's. They collected newspaper clippings, photographs, maps, and all manner of local memorabilia. John and Gordon formed the Bennett-Loomis Archives in the 1970's in order to catalog, document, and preserve local artifacts and ephemera. Many local families and old timers have donated to the archives over the years. Gordon spent uncounted hours documenting photographs and studying microfilm at the library. Arroyo Grande and the County of San Luis Obispo are richer for Gordon and John's life long appreciation of their beloved town. The Archives published two books "The Terrible Tragedy of 1886", and "The Old Days" (written by John and Gordon, chronicling their youth in Arroyo Grande). Manetta and Lindy Loomis vainly attempted to keep the stacks of newspapers and photos under control. The Archives is a continuing Bennett-Loomis family endeavor.
Gordon was a man devoted to his family, to his community, and to his values. He was a man dedicated to living every minute of every day. All of his crazy wonderful adventures included his wife and children, his extended family, innumerable friends and co-conspirators.
Some of Gordon's favorite things: whoppee cushions, rubber spiders, fake $20.00 bills, firecrackers, the Three Stooges, the color orange, potato guns, dark chocolate, Our Gang, macadamia nuts, rubber band guns, mud fights, kick the can, rum and coke, sugar peas, Alice's Restaurant, Halloween masks, red and white vans, turkey, and more turkey.
Gordon leaves his wife of 64 years, Manetta "Bubbles" Bennett, and three children, Stan Bennett of San Luis Obispo, Ken Bennett of San Luis Obispo, and Shirley Gibson and husband Rod Gibson of Halcyon. He leaves three grandchildren, Sarah Muriel Gibson of Reno, Alexander Gibson of San Francisco, and Eli Gibson of San Luis Obispo.
He also leaves his sister-in-law, Helen 'Marge' Bennett of Arroyo Grande, three nieces, Cathy Settle, Cheryl Bennett, and Celeste Ortiz. Additionally left are first cousins Richard Loomis, Nancy Longley, Dorothy Miranda, Beverly Stettler, David Loomis, Terry Loomis, Sandy Cabassi, plus numerous other cousins, and many, many friends. Lastly he leaves his honorary brother, Haruo Hayashi.
McCready, his trusty big yellow dog, is always at the back door waiting for his morning run in the avocado orchard.
Services will be held for Gordon Bennett at the Builders Grove of Eucalyptus Trees in the town of Halcyon at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, September 3, 2011. Services will be conducted by Guardian-in Chief, Eleanor Shumway, of the Temple of the People.From Halcyon Road, turn onto Temple Street or LaDue Street, and look for parking coordinators wearing orange vests.
A memorial honoring Gordon and his life will be held, following the Halcyon service, at approximately 2:00 P.M. at the Rotary Bandstand in Heritage Park, at Mason and Nelson Streets, in the Village of Arroyo Grande. The Village Band, led by Gary Thompson, will be featured along with Cherry Ave Improvement Society Ribs, Bread & Beer. Please bring your favorite Gordon story to share.
Donations may be made in honor of Gordon to the South County Historical Society or Hospice Partners of the Central Coast.
Published in Times Press Recorder on August 26, 2011
(1926 - 2011)
Gordon Loomis Bennett, Born May 16, 1926, Died August 8, 2011
Son of Ralph and Muriel Bennett, descendants of several pioneer families of the Arroyo Grande Valley: Edward C. Loomis, J.N. Jatta, Frank E. Bennett, and Thomas Stevenson. His brother Jerry Bennett was 4 years older and preceded Gordon in death in 2001. The Bennett family home was at the top of Crown Hill, directly across from the Arroyo Grande Union High School (now Paulding Jr. High). His first cousins John and Richard Loomis lived nearby. Crown Hill was perfect for rolling down old car tires. With the Arroyo Grande Creek to their south and Bennett's Grocery close enough to share canned vienna sausages on their way to school, the boys along with their various dogs, 'Flaps', 'Pooch', 'Giltroy' and 'Wiggles', were lords of their kingdom.
High School was a busy time for Gordon. He excelled at tennis and loved football at AGUHS. His love for the game of football was cut short by the beginning of WW II, as most of the high school sports programs were dropped.
He was a Letterman and played trumpet in the high school band. When school staff encouraged the formation of activity clubs, Gordon and cousin John Loomis formed The Boococks Stamp Club, combining their love of both stamp collecting and comics. From the Popeye Comics, they adopted one of Wimpy's disguised characters, J. Wellington Boocock, as their club name. The Boococks of America were a semi-military club, in that Gordon and John declared themselves Generals, and the rest of the members were given military ranks. They printed membership cards, and not much was accomplished by the club, beyond having a fun time.
Gordon and John also took the time to borrow neighbor's chickens, hid the abducted birds under their coats, and turned them loose during love scenes at The Grande Theater on Branch St (now Posies). A cow ended up in the high school gym thanks to their enterprise. The 87 cow pies were noted by all, especially the Principal, Clarence Burrell.
John and Gordon learned to drive the Loomis feed mill trucks when they were twelve, by practicing on weekends. They learned to double-clutch when the grownups weren't looking. During high school years they worked at the feed mill on weekends and after school. They hauled and stacked hay, delivered feed and fertilizer to ranches and farms all over San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Gordon graduated from AGUHS in 1944, and joined the Navy just before graduation. During the War, he was stationed in Hawaii and Guam, and was with Task Force 58 during the battle of Okinawa. After the War, he attended a year at the Santa Maria Junior College (now Hancock).
On leave from the Navy, he met a cute high school junior, Manetta Wildharber, walking down Crown Hill after class. They married in 1947. She was his life-long love, partner, companion, and friend. They had three children, Stan, Shirley, and Ken.
After the Navy, he worked first for the Loomis family at the feed mill, then along with his brother Jerry, at Bennett's Grocery, where he clerked and delivered groceries. In 1952 he joined E. C. Loomis & Sons Insurance with his uncle, Vard Loomis and businessman Bill Taylor. As the business grew he and his cousin-in-law Charlie Cabassi bought out the family portion and then moved the business to its present location on Traffic Way. Gordon retired from E.C. Loomis & Son Ins. in the 1990's.
As a local businessman, Gordon combined business with food. Plessas Tavern in Pismo Beach (now Guiseppe's) for many years was a weekly gathering place for local businessmen. Ernie Lazarus was the proprietor. Produce brokers, the gang from Pismo Oceano Vegetable Exchange, and Phelan & Taylor, lunched on clam chowder and crab salads at the bar and rolled dice (horse n' horse) (ship, captain, crew) (liar's dice) for the lunch tab, and again for cigars.
Mutt Anderson and Gordon hosted the Cherry Ave. Improvement Society at Mutt's quonset house on East Cherry Ave. in old town Arroyo, for many years in the 1960's and 1970's, for local businessmen, where ribs, bread & beer were served. Little business was conducted, but a good time was had by all.
Gordon and Manetta built their house on Allen St in 1955 on two acres in the old part of Arroyo Grande. The property was a portion of the old Pacific Coast Railway right of way, where sugar beets were loaded. He filled the property with 200 avocado trees. He and Manetta grafted, pruned, and picked avocados thoughout his life. For many years the Bennett family sold the avocados in their front yard using the honor system; a box of avocados, paper bags, with a big water bottle for payment. Naturally, he planted avocados because he loved to eat them - every day.
Gordon was fascinated by all things railroad. First as a child by watching, listening, and hitching rides on the caboose of the Pacific Coast Railway, at the foot of Crown Hill. As an adult he constructed his own railway speeder the 'The Tuolumne Scout'. The Bennett family rode the speeder on the oil pier at Avila, on a defunct rail line of the Westside Lumber Co. in Tuolumne, and on the Durango to Silverton Line in Colorado
He was a gifted imaginative storyteller and loved telling long corny jokes. Sitting in front of the fireplace at night, he created elaborate stories for his young children. Stan, Shirley, and Ken were always featured as heroes in the lengthy stories. They were always chasing the bank robber, Peg Leg Pete, or they were saving Mrs. Highpockets from General Flop Houser.
He was devoted to his three grandchildren. From birth they were floating up the Salinas River, or flying in the hot air balloon, or hiking the sand dunes with Grandpa.
Gordon had a vast collection of records; mornings he played Beethoven and Schubert, afternoons he switched to Souza marches, Johnny Cash, and Spike Jones. Evenings were reserved for Madam Butterfly, and The Tales of Hoffman, by Offenbach. He had a player piano and several antique pump organs. He played the trumpet and baritone horn and in the 1960's formed the Arroyo Grande Village German Band that played at local events. Members included Bob Tessitore, Lee Statom, Francis Fink, Haruo Hayashi, Olive Hoff, among others.
Gordon was a natural athlete. He was an avid hiker, camper, bicyclist, white water rafter, and hot air balloonist. He ballooned for close to 30 years and carried over one thousand passengers. Hundreds of locals were Gordon's passengers as they floated, in the rainbow colored 'Galatea' over Arroyo Grande, the Tar Springs Ranch, the Nipomo Mesa, the town of Halcyon, and hundreds of acres of California Valley. At the end of the flight, following balloon etiquette, first time passengers were christened on their bare heads with a handful of terra firma and a spritz of champagne. He sponsored local balloon/camping events in California Valley and volunteered tethered flights at fundraisers. The Bennett's also flew over Albuquerque, the Sierras, Mexico City, and in France (1989) in honor of the French Bi-Centennial, at the invitation of the French government.
Until this year, he played on the clay courts in Shell Beach with the Pismo Beach Tennis Association. He and Manetta attended as many Arroyo Grande High School sports programs, plus Cal Poly football and volleyball, and Cuesta team sports, as time allowed.
Another group led by Gordon, in the 1950's, were the Lopez Canyon Mountain Men. Gordon would take younger cousins and friends to Routzahn Park (now under Lopez Lake), to hike, camp, fish, and learn to be men. David Loomis, brothers John and Charlie Silva, Martin DeLeon, and Frank McGuire were a few of the Mountain Men.
In the early 1960's, Arroyo Grande lacked youth sports for girls, so he and Paul Sturges formed a girl's softball league, and Gordon coached and sponsored the Arroyo Grande Yellow Jackets, for many years. Some of the Yellow Jackets were Karen Marsalek, Wanda Campbell, Janet Maddux, and Debbie Phillips.
Gordon was a born collector. He was at heart a curator of collections with a slight tendency towards pack rat. In his youth he collected stamps and coins, later he expanded his interests to glass insulators, commemorative bricks, books, records, and antiques.
He and his cousin John starting seriously collecting local history in the 1960's. They collected newspaper clippings, photographs, maps, and all manner of local memorabilia. John and Gordon formed the Bennett-Loomis Archives in the 1970's in order to catalog, document, and preserve local artifacts and ephemera. Many local families and old timers have donated to the archives over the years. Gordon spent uncounted hours documenting photographs and studying microfilm at the library. Arroyo Grande and the County of San Luis Obispo are richer for Gordon and John's life long appreciation of their beloved town. The Archives published two books "The Terrible Tragedy of 1886", and "The Old Days" (written by John and Gordon, chronicling their youth in Arroyo Grande). Manetta and Lindy Loomis vainly attempted to keep the stacks of newspapers and photos under control. The Archives is a continuing Bennett-Loomis family endeavor.
Gordon was a man devoted to his family, to his community, and to his values. He was a man dedicated to living every minute of every day. All of his crazy wonderful adventures included his wife and children, his extended family, innumerable friends and co-conspirators.
Some of Gordon's favorite things: whoppee cushions, rubber spiders, fake $20.00 bills, firecrackers, the Three Stooges, the color orange, potato guns, dark chocolate, Our Gang, macadamia nuts, rubber band guns, mud fights, kick the can, rum and coke, sugar peas, Alice's Restaurant, Halloween masks, red and white vans, turkey, and more turkey.
Gordon leaves his wife of 64 years, Manetta "Bubbles" Bennett, and three children, Stan Bennett of San Luis Obispo, Ken Bennett of San Luis Obispo, and Shirley Gibson and husband Rod Gibson of Halcyon. He leaves three grandchildren, Sarah Muriel Gibson of Reno, Alexander Gibson of San Francisco, and Eli Gibson of San Luis Obispo.
He also leaves his sister-in-law, Helen 'Marge' Bennett of Arroyo Grande, three nieces, Cathy Settle, Cheryl Bennett, and Celeste Ortiz. Additionally left are first cousins Richard Loomis, Nancy Longley, Dorothy Miranda, Beverly Stettler, David Loomis, Terry Loomis, Sandy Cabassi, plus numerous other cousins, and many, many friends. Lastly he leaves his honorary brother, Haruo Hayashi.
McCready, his trusty big yellow dog, is always at the back door waiting for his morning run in the avocado orchard.
Services will be held for Gordon Bennett at the Builders Grove of Eucalyptus Trees in the town of Halcyon at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, September 3, 2011. Services will be conducted by Guardian-in Chief, Eleanor Shumway, of the Temple of the People.From Halcyon Road, turn onto Temple Street or LaDue Street, and look for parking coordinators wearing orange vests.
A memorial honoring Gordon and his life will be held, following the Halcyon service, at approximately 2:00 P.M. at the Rotary Bandstand in Heritage Park, at Mason and Nelson Streets, in the Village of Arroyo Grande. The Village Band, led by Gary Thompson, will be featured along with Cherry Ave Improvement Society Ribs, Bread & Beer. Please bring your favorite Gordon story to share.
Donations may be made in honor of Gordon to the South County Historical Society or Hospice Partners of the Central Coast.
Published in Times Press Recorder on August 26, 2011
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