Pamela Kay Bennett
May 14th, 1954 - March 27th, 2026
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Pamela's Obituary
Pamela Kay Bennett, 71, died Friday, March 27, 2026, at her home in rural Buchanan, Michigan, after a brief but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
She was born May 14, 1954, in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the first of six children to Rev. John Wesley and Dorothy Ann (Bushnell) Bennett. She married Keith Hermon on June 21, 1974, they had two children together, Tiffany and Nicole. They later divorced. She married Roderic Swenson on December 7, 1993.
She is survived by her husband, Ric, of 32 years; her daughters, Tiffany (Steve) Warmowski, of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, Nicole (Matthew) Potter, of Chicago, her stepdaughters, Kristin Swenson, of Buchanan, Michigan, and Adrianne (Gilbert) Clemente, of Kileene, Texas; her grandchildren, Nicholas Warmowski, Evan Cordero and Gabriel and Myles Clemente; her siblings, Dawn (Dana) Stewart, of Crown Point, Indiana, Jay (Judy) Bennett, of Columbia, Missouri, Randy (Judy) Bennett, of Port Huron, Michigan, Greg (Mailene) Bennett, of Peoria, Illinois, and Brock Bennett, of Palm Springs, California. She is also survived by her nephews and nieces, John Vesey, Julia (John) Rogers, Benjamin Stewart, Amelia (Jeremy) Sharich, and Thomas and Matthew Bennett; several great-nieces and nephews; and many friends, including her Buchanan Rite-Aid friends and customers, whom she cherished. She also leaves behind her feline family members, Louie and George.
Pam was preceded in death by her parents; nephew, Ian Stewart and niece, Katherine Reade.
Pam was a devoted big sister, helping raise her younger siblings, who were all born within ten years of her. Her family moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 1965, where her father was pastor of the First Free Methodist Church. Her childhood years were full of church activities and service and the community of church members who loved her.
She was married in her father’s church and had their first daughter, Tiffany. In 1979, she and her family moved to the south suburbs of Chicago (the last place she wanted to go), where her youngest daughter, Nicole, was born.
In 1992 she met Ric and they fell in love. They lived in Crete, Illinois, before moving to a beautiful, wooded area in Buchanan, Michigan. She adored being surrounded by nature and the home Ric built. She bought Semper Fi Company, a mobile PX, and regularly traveled to Marine reserve units in six midwestern states. She loved being around and connected to the military members who serve our country. She started an educational foundation in honor of her late nephew, Ian. In addition to running the mobile PX, she mounted medals and ribbons for Marines and sailors whose medals and bars needed updating, refreshed or repaired. She loved learning the different ranks and awards that our military members earn. Because of her attention to detail and great customer service, she received many words of gratitude for her metal mounting work. She worked hard to build her business and took great pride in her work and her connections to those at the reserve units. She was an inspiration to her children and others around her to start their own businesses.
During the pandemic, when she could not travel to reserve units, she took a job at the local Rite-Aid store. There she became friends with many co-workers and treated customers as long-time friends. She was honored when those co-workers and customers confided in her, shared family news and cried on her shoulder. She was known as a hugger by many in the community.
Pam wrote poetry, loved to read, dabbled in quilting and was good with a sewing machine (from years of making her own clothes as a teenager). She had a deep spirituality and found peace sitting at home in her ancestor’s rocking chair looking out the picture window into the beauty of nature.
Pam will be remembered by Ric as fulfilling her wedding vows of helping him understand himself, by her daughters as examples of what letting go looks like, by her stepdaughters as a joyful and loving friend, by her grandchildren as a safe person with whom they could be themselves and by her siblings as a big sister who encouraged them to find their voices, set healthy boundaries, and thoughtfully question some of the ideas with which they were raised.
Pam’s spirit has been given wings. She has chosen to be cremated. A private family gathering is planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tunnels to Towers at 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306 or t2t.org. Arrangements have been entrusted to Swem Chapel, 269-695-6881.
She was born May 14, 1954, in West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the first of six children to Rev. John Wesley and Dorothy Ann (Bushnell) Bennett. She married Keith Hermon on June 21, 1974, they had two children together, Tiffany and Nicole. They later divorced. She married Roderic Swenson on December 7, 1993.
She is survived by her husband, Ric, of 32 years; her daughters, Tiffany (Steve) Warmowski, of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, Nicole (Matthew) Potter, of Chicago, her stepdaughters, Kristin Swenson, of Buchanan, Michigan, and Adrianne (Gilbert) Clemente, of Kileene, Texas; her grandchildren, Nicholas Warmowski, Evan Cordero and Gabriel and Myles Clemente; her siblings, Dawn (Dana) Stewart, of Crown Point, Indiana, Jay (Judy) Bennett, of Columbia, Missouri, Randy (Judy) Bennett, of Port Huron, Michigan, Greg (Mailene) Bennett, of Peoria, Illinois, and Brock Bennett, of Palm Springs, California. She is also survived by her nephews and nieces, John Vesey, Julia (John) Rogers, Benjamin Stewart, Amelia (Jeremy) Sharich, and Thomas and Matthew Bennett; several great-nieces and nephews; and many friends, including her Buchanan Rite-Aid friends and customers, whom she cherished. She also leaves behind her feline family members, Louie and George.
Pam was preceded in death by her parents; nephew, Ian Stewart and niece, Katherine Reade.
Pam was a devoted big sister, helping raise her younger siblings, who were all born within ten years of her. Her family moved to Peoria, Illinois, in 1965, where her father was pastor of the First Free Methodist Church. Her childhood years were full of church activities and service and the community of church members who loved her.
She was married in her father’s church and had their first daughter, Tiffany. In 1979, she and her family moved to the south suburbs of Chicago (the last place she wanted to go), where her youngest daughter, Nicole, was born.
In 1992 she met Ric and they fell in love. They lived in Crete, Illinois, before moving to a beautiful, wooded area in Buchanan, Michigan. She adored being surrounded by nature and the home Ric built. She bought Semper Fi Company, a mobile PX, and regularly traveled to Marine reserve units in six midwestern states. She loved being around and connected to the military members who serve our country. She started an educational foundation in honor of her late nephew, Ian. In addition to running the mobile PX, she mounted medals and ribbons for Marines and sailors whose medals and bars needed updating, refreshed or repaired. She loved learning the different ranks and awards that our military members earn. Because of her attention to detail and great customer service, she received many words of gratitude for her metal mounting work. She worked hard to build her business and took great pride in her work and her connections to those at the reserve units. She was an inspiration to her children and others around her to start their own businesses.
During the pandemic, when she could not travel to reserve units, she took a job at the local Rite-Aid store. There she became friends with many co-workers and treated customers as long-time friends. She was honored when those co-workers and customers confided in her, shared family news and cried on her shoulder. She was known as a hugger by many in the community.
Pam wrote poetry, loved to read, dabbled in quilting and was good with a sewing machine (from years of making her own clothes as a teenager). She had a deep spirituality and found peace sitting at home in her ancestor’s rocking chair looking out the picture window into the beauty of nature.
Pam will be remembered by Ric as fulfilling her wedding vows of helping him understand himself, by her daughters as examples of what letting go looks like, by her stepdaughters as a joyful and loving friend, by her grandchildren as a safe person with whom they could be themselves and by her siblings as a big sister who encouraged them to find their voices, set healthy boundaries, and thoughtfully question some of the ideas with which they were raised.
Pam’s spirit has been given wings. She has chosen to be cremated. A private family gathering is planned. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Tunnels to Towers at 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306 or t2t.org. Arrangements have been entrusted to Swem Chapel, 269-695-6881.
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