GEORGE F. BENNETT

BENNETT, George F. Of Hingham, MA, died on Saturday, March 15th, 2014 at his home where he has lived for the past 60 years at the age of 102. He was predeceased by Helen (Brigham) Bennett, his wife of 72 years, and is survived by 3 sons and their wives; Peter and Diana Bennett of Osterville, MA; George, Jr. "Gerry" and Marinda "Rindy" Bennett of Hanover, MA; and Robert and Eugenia "Genie" Bennett of North Andover. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Nancy Fulton, Kimberly Canavan, Susan Reed, Lisa Forkner, Kristen Chavez, Andrew Bennett, Lois Blatchley, Sarah Aamot, Joshua Bennett and Jonathan Bennett; 3 grandchildren by marriage; Daniel Card, Thomas Card and Jonathan Card; and 31 great and great-great grandchildren. Mr. Bennett was descended from Elder Brewster, a passenger on the Mayflower and leader of the Mayflower community. Mr. Bennett attended Hingham High School and graduated from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA in 1933. He was an outstanding high school and college athlete and was inducted into the Hingham High School Athletic Hall of Fame at the age of 99. He served as Senior Partner and President of State Street Research & Management Company and President and Director of State Street Investment Corporation, one of the very first mutual funds in the country. He served on the corporate boards of Commonwealth Oil Refining; Florida Power & Light; Ford Motor Company; Gefinor Finance, SA; Hanna Mining; Hewlett Packard; John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company; Katy Railroad; Mid-America Pipeline; New England Electric System; North American Company; Middle South Utilities; and Niagara Mohawk Power. In 1982 The Boston Globe noted that George Bennett may have been "the most established figure in the Boston money management world" at that time. Mr. Bennett turned down the opportunity to serve as Secretary of the Treasury under both Presidents Johnson and Reagan in order to have more time with his family. He also served on the institutional boards of; Wheaton College, Illinois; the Billy Graham Evangelist Association, where he also served as treasurer; Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Rockefeller University; the Alaska Permanent Fund; Christian Camps and Conferences, Inc.; and the South Shore Baptist Church in Hingham, MA. Mr. Bennett was also a member of the Harvard Corporation. In addition, he received honorary degrees from Harvard University, where he also served as treasurer, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Visiting hours and flowers omitted by family request. A Memorial Service will be conducted on Saturday, March 22nd at 3 PM at the South Shore Baptist Church 578 Main St. (Rt. 228) Hingham with a reception following the service. Rather than flowers, donations in his memory would be appreciated to the George F. Bennett Scholarship for Outstanding Student Leadership at Gordon College, 255 Grapevine Rd., Wenham, MA 01984 or www.gordon.edu/bennettscholarship. The interment is to be private. For online guestbook, please visit www.downingchapel.com.