Dean Craig Bennett

d. September 17, 2023

Lake Limestone / Thornton

Dean Craig Bennett, lovingly known as "PoPo" to his grandchildren, passed away at his home at Lake Limestone on Sunday, September 17, 2023. He was 64.

A Celebration of Life service will be arranged at a future date.

Dean was born in El Paso, TX. on May 13, 1959, to Charles Ray Bennett and Bettie Chatherine (Pearson) Bennett. After living in Pampa, the family moved to White Deer when he was in Junior High. Dean graduated from White Deer High School in the Class of 1977 and pursued a higher education at Texas State Technical Institute in Amarillo, where he received an Associates of Science degree in Electronics.

Dean was united in marriage with Katrinka Lynne Cates in May 1980, after they had met in 1976 at a basketball tournament and reconnected in 1978 while she was a senior in high school. They were married in her hometown of Fritch.

While in school at TSTI and before graduation they welcomed their first child Wesley in 1981. When Dean graduated from TSTI, they moved to Bartlesville, OK, where he worked for Applied Automation and the beginning of his career with Phillips Petroleum later known as Chevron Phillips. They welcomed their second child Amber in 1983. In 1985, the family moved to the Houston area where he was working with Phillips Chemical HCC in Pasadena.

Their son and daughter were raised in Friendswood. Dean coached Wesley in baseball and filmed his football games to share with the coach and teams. He enjoyed helping Amber with her equestrian activities. He enjoyed golfing, hunting, fishing and shooting air rifles. Dean valued the importance of education, learning, working and sharing his knowledge with others, including co-workers, his kids and their friends.

The Bennett home welcomed the neighborhood kids and friends of Wesley and Amber. He encouraged all with lectures, furnishing school supplies where needed and feeding them lots of meals.

Dean retired December 31, 2021. He was proud of his 40 years working for Applied Automation in Bartlesville, OK, Phillips Chemical HCC/Chevron Phillips in Pasadena, and Chevron Phillips Chemical Cedar Bayou in Baytown.

Dean and Lynne acquired property at Lake Limestone seven years ago where he dreamed of moving to after retirement. They moved three months ago and two month later he was sadly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Dean was a man who loved his family. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles Ray Bennett in 2019.

He is survived by his mother, Bettie Bennett of White Deer; his wife, Lynne (Cates) Bennett of Thornton; son and daughter-in-law, Wesley and Julie Bennett of Texarkana; and daughter and son-in-law, Amber and Michael Hansen of Friendswood. PoPo is grandfather to triplets, grandsons Michael Hansen, Atticus Hansen, granddaughter Lillian Hansen of Friendswood, and granddaughter Sadie Bennett of Texarkana. He is also survived his brother and sister-in-law: Donnie and Tammy Bennett of Duncan, OK and niece Tacy and nephew Cody; and brother and sister-in-law, Darin and Julie Bennett of White Deer, TX, and nephew Brice and his wife Cori and 2 great nephews.

For anyone wishing to honor Dean with a memorial donation, instead of flowers, the family requests donations be made for research and cure of pancreatic cancer.

A special thank you to all the Doctors, nurses and hospital staff in Groesbeck and Waco who took care of him and his Hospice nurses Laura and Nina of Community Healthcare of Texas.

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Dean Craig Bennett

d. September 17, 2023

Lake Limestone / Thornton

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