Over a nursing career spanning 40 years, Maryanne Bennett of Sag Harbor cared for immeasurable numbers of children, including prematurely born infants, giving them “the chance to grow and thrive,” her family said. She worked for over 20 years in various roles at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and was a recipient of its Neo-Natal Nurse of the Year award.
Ms. Bennett died of pulmonary fibrosis on Jan. 11 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, having been ill for a year. She was 64.
She was born in Southampton on June 10, 1958, to James G. Bennett and the former Mary Collins, and grew up in Noank, Conn. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Massachusetts and completed her education at St. Vincent’s Medical Center School of Nursing in Bridgeport, Conn.
When she retired four years ago, she moved from Belmont, Mass., to Sag Harbor. She “immediately immersed herself in the community,” belonging to or volunteering with the Friends of the John Jermain Memorial Library, the American Legion Auxiliary, the Sag Harbor Food Pantry, and the Sag Harbor Historical Society, her family said.
Ms. Bennett was a world traveler who visited all of the continents except Antarctica. She also loved the beach, never letting a nice day pass without spending some time there. She was also a master knitter, her family said, who enjoyed mah-jongg, book clubs, and golf.
She leaves behind her mother, Mary Collins of Sag Harbor, and three brothers, James G. Bennett of Mystic, Conn., Sean M. Bennett of Bridgehampton, and Charles J. Bennett of Newburyport, Mass. She is also survived by five nephews, Liam, Gordon, Collin, Danial, and Nickolas Bennett.
Ms. Bennett was a parishioner at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Sag Harbor, where a funeral took place on Jan. 18. Her family has suggested memorial donations to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, online at bit.ly/3jKY01G, for its Lung Transplant Program under the direction of Dr. Christina Eckhardt.
