MICHAEL BENNETT

Michael Bennett  
Our lives became a little less bright on March 30, 2021. Our dear friend and colleague, Michael Bennett, passed away at his home in Lovettsville, VA, while in hospice care after a brief, intense, and, ultimately, terminal illness caused by sero-negative auto-immune hepatitis. He was 68. In attendance at his death was his loving and supportive wife, Catherine S. Gill, and his devoted cat, Molly. A Milwaukee native, Michael Bennett was the son of the late Elwyn and Doraine Bennett. He is survived by his wife; his sister Cathleen Bennett-Shorer (James Shorer); two nephews and a niece. He was predeceased by a second niece in 2019. He was employed in many and varied jobs throughout his career. It all began at A.O. Smith in Milwaukee working as a co-op while attending Purdue University. From there, Michael worked as an engineer at the CIA and later as a consultant to various entities of the Federal Government. He was a subject matter expert on Denial & Deception and coauthor of Counterdeception Principles and Applications for National Security. His final position was serving as a patent examiner at the US Patent and Trademark Office. After that, he retired to a rural property in Lovettsville with his wife. Michael Bennett was passionate about his cats, gardening, and outdoor activities. He was truly a renaissance soul in that he had an insatiable desire for knowledge and learning and trying new things. A three-time cancer survivor and successful stem cell transplant recipient, he didn't hesitate to tell his story and provide invaluable support to others who were struggling through similar situations.  Michael Bennett was cremated. There will be no memorial service per his wishes. If desired, memorial donations may be made to Alley Cat Allies in Bethesda, MD (www.alleycat.org) in his name. Intelligent, cynical, and possessing a wicked sense of humor, Michael Bennett will be sorely missed by all who knew him.