John David “Dave” Bennett

May 23, 1968 – August 13, 2026

John David Bennett, known as Dave, was born May 23, 1968, in Lawton, Oklahoma, while his father was stationed there with the military. Proud to be born near Indian Territory, he also proudly considered himself a true Texan.

The firstborn son of David and Barbara Bennett, Dave spent many childhood summers in Hemphill, Texas, with his late maternal grandparents, Lila and Roy Carlton, and his late paternal grandparents, Little Granny and Buford Bennett.

Those summers on his grandparents’ chicken farms truly shaped him. His grandmother Lila, whom he adored, introduced him to hunting and fishing, and by age of six he would spend the day exploring the woods, on his own with a shotgun in hand, beginning a lifelong love of the outdoors.

A proud FFA member and Klein High School graduate, Dave raised livestock and earned a Grand Champion award for a topiary design at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. His passion for plants led to a horticulture scholarship and studies in landscape engineering at Sam Houston State University.

After working in highway construction for his uncle in Dallas, Dave joined AT&T in 1990 and transferred to Houston in 1992. In 1993, he met Lollie Ramirez at the AT&T North Belt office, a connection that changed both their lives.

Their friendship became a lifelong partnership. Knowing they could not be apart, Dave and Lollie chose a life together, marrying on September 1, 2001. For 25 years, they built a life defined by loyalty, laughter, adventure, independence, and deep love.

They chose not to have children, but their family was vast. On the Bennett side were his brother, a niece, nephew, and two great-nieces. Through marriage came more than 60 nieces and nephews, along with 40–50 “bonus” nieces and nephews from their AT&T family and those Dave mentored over the years.

Uncle Dave loved, advised, protected, taught, spoiled, and—most famously—harassed relentlessly. If Dave loved you, you knew it.

He retired after 27 years with AT&T due to back complications but never slowed in mind or spirit.

Dave was an outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, cook and natural problem solver who could graft trees, drop a 50-foot tree precisely, field dress game like a butcher, and speak with surprising knowledge on nearly any subject. He was direct and authentic, and those who knew him understood that his toughness and blunt honesty were matched by a deep, steady loyalty: if

someone needed help and he could provide it, he did—without attention or credit. He loved in the same way, through action, and his devotion to his people, which was unwavering.

Lollie often called him an old soul with multiple lifetimes of experiences.

One of his greatest gifts to Lollie was that he didn’t just love her—he loved her people. Her family became his, her friends became his, and what mattered to her mattered to him.

Dave was fiercely authentic, highly capable, quietly generous, funny, and completely devoted to his people. As an example, for 30 years. he was a proud core member of The Star of Texas Cooking Team.

He lived on his terms, loved deeply, helped without recognition, and left behind a family far larger than any list could capture.

He was deeply loved, and he loved abundantly.

Dave is survived by his wife Lollie Ramirez-Bennett, his parents, Barbara and Dave Bennett, his brother Jason (Sharon), his “mother-in-law” Carmen, “in laws” Joe Raul (Shelly), Cynthia (Duane), Erika (James), Goddaughters: Alexa, Anniston, Adrian, aunts, uncles and 100+ nieces and nephews. Plus, oh so many dear friends he treated like brothers and sisters.