Burletta Louise Bennett

How we have all come to love our sweet Burletta, as the precious and lovely person she is. She has proved to be such a dear, loving, and loyal wife, and a mother who dearly loves and is so very proud of her children and grandchildren, as well as of her siblings, her beloved aunt Katherine, and the rest of her family. She has proved to be remarkably gracious, patient, kind, and appreciative. How we so cherish such qualities in her! She is truly a gem!

Burletta Louise Marcon Bennett was born in Salida, Colorado into a vivacious Italian family. Firstborn to Anthony and Ruth Marcon, she enjoyed life with her five beloved siblings, Patricia, Mario, Carl, Tony, and Cathy. And she has remained close to all of them and their families through the years. She was always very fond of her Aunt Katherine, whom she enjoyed visiting even recently.

Throughout her life, Burletta was resourceful and creative. She excelled in academics, and received a Journalism Scholarship to Pueblo Junior College.  She went on to be a writer for the Pueblo Star Journal, and Chieftain newspaper.

She was a dedicated mother who raised five children, Kellie, Mark, Adam, Todd, and Jason.  Affectionately known as “Granny B” by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she loved them greatly, as they did her.

Years ago, in self-sacrificing love, she donated her own kidney to save her beloved son Jason. Even so, tragically, he passed away.

In 2018, she in turn received a kidney transplant, and went on to live a fulfilling life, ever grateful for the priceless gift she had received.

She deeply loved her entire family, and expressed it often. Even during this pandemic, when it was hard to meet in person, she reached out frequently to family and friends to let them know they were thought of and loved. She often sent encouraging texts, cute or funny quotes, pictures, and digital "stickers" to friends and family.

Years ago, Burletta had said that she had always wanted to learn more about the Bible, so when the opportunity arose, she eagerly seized it, and thus embarked upon a journey that would change her life! Through her Bible study, she came to know and develop a close personal relationship with her loving Creator. In the Scriptures, she came to find satisfying answers to life’s big questions.

On her spiritual journey, she came to find a surpassing peace of mind and heart, an uplifting purpose, a real comfort, and true hope. One such aspect of which is the realization that she will one day soon hold her dear son Jason in her arms again, in full vibrant health, in a world refreshed and made new, where beauty and peace overflow, when, as it says in Isaiah 65, "the former distresses will be forgotten... and the former things will not be called to mind, nor will they come up into the heart."  (Isaiah 65:16-19)

The loving bond that she was forming with her heavenly Father, eventually moved her to dedicate her life to Jehovah God, and become baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

As Burletta drew closer to her heavenly Father, she also grew close to many beautiful and cherished friends in the congregations far and wide. She frequently spoke with much love and immense gratitude for such friends and their kindness and support. Her love and constant expressions of appreciation for such ones endeared her to many.

Over time, she forged a very special friendship with the one who would become the companion of her life, Gary Bennett. She was simply smitten with him! Through the years, as Gary said, they were inseparable! They went everywhere and did everything together. They both loved music and dancing, and Burletta so enjoyed accompanying Gary, as his lovely assistant and biggest fan, on his singing and entertaining engagements.

Through her marriage to Gary, she gained more family to love and be loved by, including two new daughters, Chantae and Anaiah, and their families, and more grandchildren, as well as a brother and sisters in-law, Warren and Sherry, Gail, and Bonnie, and more nieces and nephews.

Because she came to highly prize the precious truths and hope she found in the Bible, she enjoyed sharing these truths with others. Together, Gary and Burletta reached out in the community as volunteers, giving their time to teach Bible study courses, and performing many other good deeds, and practical acts of kindness, supporting those in need. In the course of doing so, they gained more new friends who became quite beloved to them.

Burletta was known as a fun and jovial person, with a good sense of humor, and a wide, bright, infectious smile that cheered those around her. She loved life, and enjoyed many wonderful times with her family and friends. For some of us though, it was perhaps during times of adversity that we spent the closest time with her, and became especially fond of her. For in those dark and painful times she shined all the brighter.  

In recent years, Burletta and Gary faced several different health challenges together. Though some were extremely painful and difficult, she fought hard to overcome, and she maintained a truly amazing disposition of patience and gratitude, a refreshingly cheerful and mild spirit of kindness, gentle while strong. She was confident in the love that she felt surrounding her, and the hope that brightened her from within. With the help and support of her husband, family, and friends, and her heavenly Father Jehovah, she valiantly overcame in many such battles. As she battled this final illness too, she fought well. Even now, she still emerges victorious, for she maintained her trust in God and loyalty to the last.

During all that time, she continued to express appreciation for the diligent care she received from medical staff who worked so hard to help her. She expressed heartfelt gratitude for the love and kindness of her family and friends. She expressed how Jehovah was continuously with her, helping her so very much, and that she ‘absolutely could not do this without him.’

Before she closed her eyes, she was again surrounded by the love of her family and friends from both near and far - her dear sisters and brothers, her beloved children and family - all reassuring her of their love, especially her dear husband Gary, who cared for her night and day, unceasingly, lovingly, tenderly, who held her hand and wept with her, and prayed with her.

Some of the last words we shared with her before she went to sleep were among the most comforting and reassuring words in the Bible - warm words from our heavenly Father, our Creator himself, the Source of life - one of her favorite scripture passages, Isaiah 41:10,13. She listened as we read to her - truly, as Jehovah himself said to her (and to each of us now too):
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
Do not be anxious, for I am your God.
I will fortify you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness.
For I, Jehovah your God, am grasping your right hand,
The One saying to you,
‘Do not be afraid. I will help you'"

True to her gracious spirit, some of the very last words we heard her say were, "Thank you. I love you. Thank you."

Now, but for a brief time, she has fallen to peaceful sleep in her Heavenly Father's arms, in the safest place she could be, secure in her hope, as are we, that she will one day soon open her eyes again to a new world of sparkling beauty and resplendent peace, revived to full health and youthful exuberance, to her, and our own, everlasting joy and delight!

As Isaiah 26:19 says:

“Your dead will live…
Awake and shout joyfully,
You residents in the dust!
For your dew is as the dew of the morning,
And the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.”

And Isaiah 51:11,12:

"They will come... with a joyful cry,
And unending joy will crown them.
Exultation and rejoicing will be theirs,
And grief and sighing will flee away.  
I myself am the One comforting you."

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As Burletta herself expressed, and would surely do again now, our whole family would like to express our deep, heartfelt gratitude for all of you dear friends for being there with us, and all of your support - for the help of each one in hosting our memorial, for all the cards, phone calls, visits, gifts, meals, prayers, words of encouragement, scriptures, and every loving act of kindness you have done for Burletta, and Gary, and for all of us! We truly thank you! And we dearly love you!

We also want to acknowledge that many of you dear friends have lost beloved family members of your own, and others are experiencing very stressful and painful health problems, or other trials. We want you to know, we are so very sorry for the pain of your hearts. May Jehovah comfort and strengthen each of you. May he give you his transcending peace, and his great love. And may your hope bring you joy even in the darkness. We love you!

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Burletta was preceded in death by her son, Jason Quint; first husband, Paul Quint; parents, Anthony and Ruth Marcon; and nephew, Nicholas Marcon. She is survived by her husband of 16 years, Gary Bennett; children, Kellie (Bob) Holding, Mark Quint, Adam (Teresa) Quint, Todd (Lisa) Quint; stepchildren, Chantae (Antonio) Campos, and Anaiah Formanova (Justin Forman). Burletta had seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Siblings, Patricia (George) Gash, Mario (Diana) Marcon, Carl (Sherri) Marcon, Tony (Kitty) Marcon, Cathy (Dave) Dehn; her aunt, Katherine Granzella; Brother and sisters-in-law, Warren (Sherry) Bennett, Gail Elam, Bonnie Karst; and several nieces and nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends who loved Burletta.

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