Mark Bennett Obituary, Death Cause – In the midst of the most difficult time for the family, there was still a glimmer of hope. Mark Bennett had just woken up from an afternoon nap and was doing what he often did, which was to meander aimlessly around the home when he ran across his son, Sam. It was June of the year 2020. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a terrible and persistent disease that would eventually strip Mark, a skilled dentist, of his coordination, reduce him to requiring overnight medical care, and transform doting family members into utter strangers.
In the kitchen, Mark confronted his youngest child and admonished him, “Hey, don’t wait to do something.” After that, she gave him a pat on the back. Sam just stood there speechless and amazed. Stacy, his mother, did the same thing. Sam’s voice broke through the silence when he eventually asked his mother, “Mom,” “do you think you could get him to write that down?
Mark had been diagnosed with the condition seven years earlier, when he was 45 years old. A mourning family was put to the test in every possible way by Mark’s deteriorating condition; their patience, their resolve, their faith, and even their sanity were all put to the test. However, despite having a clouded head, this was a concept that was plain as day, and as such, it was one that should be savoured.
The next thing you know, Stacy has a piece of paper in her hand and is sitting down at the table with her husband of 27 years. As a language arts instructor at the junior high school in the area, she first painstakingly drew each letter, then sat back and observed for fifteen minutes as Mark did his hardest to duplicate the letters, his face intent and his pencil shaking.