Joyce Marion Grout Bennett

Longtime Cambridge resident Joyce Marion Grout Bennett joined her beloved Bill in eternal rest on Saturday, October 14. She spent her final days at Barnwell Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Valatie, New York. Joyce, born 2/7/1931 in East Arlington, Vermont, was daughter of the late Max and Ruth Grout, sister to the late Mary Elizabeth Saunders and the late Dorothy Dusha. Widow of William G.Bennett. She is survived by her daughter Penny Lynn Bennett of Jacksonville, AR, grandchildren Heidi (Ryan) Sheehan, Bethany (Derek) Scanlon, Megan (Jesse) Kostas- Amaro and Geordan Kostas. Great grandchildren include Tabetha Zimmer and Alastair Sheehan. Joyce is survived by a brother, Alden (Maggie) Grout of East Arlington, Vermont. Joyce is survived by many nieces and nephews.Special care was given to her by niece Dianne (Dusha) Mosher. Special communications was received frequently from nephew Reggie Saunders of Orlando, Florida and best friend Shirley Feron of New Mexico. Laura and Richard Baker of Cambridge, were long time friends and really stepped up whenever Joyce need them. Until her first bout with illness three years ago, Joyce was a very active person. She and Bill resided for many years in Canton. They raced ponies, with Joyce handling most of the barn chores, Joyce worked many jobs through the years, mostly in bookkeeping and retail, using her Associate degree from St. Joseph’s Business College. Joyce was long time secretary of the Cambridge Saddle Club, a Stanley Home Products demonstrator, bowled in the women’s league in Cambridge and she was a member of the Red Hat Society. She was active as a poll official during elections. Joyce was a teddy bear collector with over 400 in residence at the time of her death. Joyce was well known for her sewing, crafting and culinary skills. Some of her specialties were sewing racing silks for harness jockeys, crafting Christmas ornaments and“crafting” beautiful marzipan cookies in the shape of fruit. More than what she “did” in life, Joyce will be remembered as “who she was’. Joyce was kind, helpful, loving and truly a wonderful person. As per her wishes, there will be no funeral. A celebration of Joyce’s life will be held graveside in the Woodlands Cemetery in Cambridge, NY at 3 pm Sunday, November 5. Many thanks to all that helped Joyce through the good times and the bad.. The past three years have been difficult but she appreciated the rides, phone calls, visits, shopping etc. that people helped her with. Special thanks to the staff at Greenwich Medical Center. Greenwich, NY. Donations in Joyce’s memory can be made to the Cambridge Saddle Club, PO Box 221 Cambridge NY 12816 or the Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad 37Gilbert St. Cambridge NY 12816