James Robert Bennett

James Robert Bennett was born October 4, 1944, in Los Angeles, California, where he spent most of his life. He graduated from John Marshall High School in 1962, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Redlands in 1966, and received his MBA from UCLA in 1968. He proudly served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1973, with assignments at Fort Benning, Georgia; Sinop, Turkey; and Fort Devens, Massachusetts. Following his military service, he returned to California and held several transportation management positions with Revell, Pacific Intermountain Express, Gillette, and Jafra.

Jim specialized in transportation and traffic management, focusing on the warehousing and movement of goods and hazardous materials. Based in Southern California, he worked extensively with Asian-Pacific companies, which fostered a lifelong interest in both business and leisure travel. He especially enjoyed traveling to Hawaii and Southeast Asia, as well as to Europe. While attending the University of Redlands, he studied abroad for one semester in Salzburg.

A passionate supporter of the performing arts, Jim had a particular love for Broadway plays and dance performances. He took great pride in his collection of original Broadway opening posters, many of which were displayed in his Los Angeles home, with a few accompanying him to St. George in 2022. He made frequent trips to New York City to attend performances, regularly supported the arts in Los Angeles, and sought out plays wherever his travels took him, often in the company of close friends from Southern California.

Jim never married but maintained a strong and caring interest in the lives of his nieces, nephews, and extended family. In 2022, following a diagnosis of dementia, he moved from Los Angeles to St. George, Utah. He lived with his brother and sister-in-law, Guy and Linda Bennett, for approximately 20 months, and later resided at Abbingon Memory Care for another 20 months. James Robert Bennett passed away on December 20, 2025.

He is survived by his brother, Guy Bennett; sister-in-law, Linda Bennett; five nieces and nephews and their spouses; 17 grandnieces and grandnephews, some with spouses; and four great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

Hughes Mortuary is handling the cremation and a small private viewing.