Arthur H. Bennett

Arthur H. Bennett, of New Bedford, died peacefully at home on October 22, 2025.

He was born April 20, 1932, in New Bedford to Arthur Bennett, Sr., and Cora (Sanford) Bennett and was a proud resident of the city for his entire life.

Pre-deceased by his wife Jean Bennett, his grandson Nathaniel Bennett, and his younger brother David Bennett, he is survived by his five children-Paul and his wife Tara of Old Lyme, CT, Alan and his wife Kathleen of Haverhill, MA, Elizabeth of Fairhaven, Katharine Bennett-Weber and her husband Gordon of New Bedford, and John of Fairhaven.

He is also the beloved grandfather of ten grandchildren-Nick Bennett, Andy Bennett, Kayley Bennett Caira, Cora Tetreault Richter, Ben Tetreault, Cali Tetreault, Erin Higgins, Jackson Bennett, Sam Bennett, and Jack Bennett and ten great-grandchildren-Ellie, Lucy, Indita, Joey, Evan, Rory, Arthur, Bennett, Alisandra, and Alice.

Arthur spent the first half of his professional life as a teacher, first in the Academic Department of the old New Bedford Vocational High School, then at Dartmouth High School as English teacher, department chairman, and assistant principal. He loved to teach.

Entering what he presumed was retirement in the late 1980's, he discovered he had actually begun a second career as writer, volunteer and activist. Over the following years he served on the boards of the Opportunity Center, Zeiterion Theatre, WHALe, and Downtown New Bedford, Inc. For many years he wrote and published the Downtown Update, a weekly annotated listing of downtown events.

He was a volunteer at the New Bedford National Park Visitor Center for more than 25 years, many of them as president of the Park's Volunteer Council. He also was proud to represent New Bedford for 15 years as a member of the Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical HS School Committee.

In 1996, The Standard-Times named him and his wife Jean the city's Man and Woman of the Year for their work in bringing a National Park to New Bedford.

He was also a grateful and dedicated friend of Bill W. for more than 30 years.

His Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 1 PM in the New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford. Visiting hours will be held Saturday, November 15th from 2-5 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Arthur's memory may be made to the Zeiterion Theatre, 128 Union Street, Suite LL5, New Bedford, MA 02740 or online at www.zeiterion.org. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.