Keith Wyche (Sonny) Bennett

Keith Wyche (Sonny) Bennett, 88, of Summerville, SC, went peacefully to be with the Lord on November 25, 2023, while holding the hand of his loving wife of 40 years, Therese.

Keith was born in Norfolk, VA, on February 9, 1935 to Cato George and Rhea Mary Hinkleman Bennett.

He graduated from Norview High School in 1953 as the captain of the basketball and baseball teams and did the same while graduating from Valley Forge Military Academy in PA. He joined the Air Force in 1957, and led their baseball and basketball teams to championships in CA and Europe. After honorably leaving the service in 1960, he settled back in VA and then MD to raise a family while being employed with the National Elevator Industry for over 30 years. He also enjoyed time with his wife Therese at the family business known as “The Corner” after moving back to VA, and was an integral part of The Bennett Group, LLC for many years. He later moved with his wife to Summerville, SC, to be closer to his family and grandchildren. He was a member of St. John The Beloved Catholic Church.  He enjoyed long walks on the beach in his youth, was an avid fan of Washington D.C. and Maryland sports teams, and watched “The Masters” golf tournament every spring, which he was thrilled to once attend with his son. Keith enjoyed a long, adventurous, and wonderful life and will be forever missed by family and friends.

He was preceded in passing by his parents Cato and Rhea Bennett, by his precious daughter Mary Victoria Bennett Mandell and her husband Michael, and by his beloved brother Cato George (Buddy) Bennett, Jr.

He is survived by his wife Therese (Deatherage), son Mark and his wife Heather, and his beloved grandchildren Joshua, Allison, and Charlotte of Summerville, SC, and Mara Mandell McDaniel of FL.  Keith is also survived by his sister George Carol Anjal and his many nieces, nephews, and cousins, most of whom knew him affectionately as “Uncle Sonny.”

There will be a Funeral Mass on June 22, Saturday 10 am at St. Joseph  Catholic Church, Parish Hall, Emmitsburg, MD 21727 and burial in the New St. Joseph Cemetery on South Seton Avenue.