Obituary: BENNETT, DAVID

David Wells BennettJanuary 1, 1927 ~ February 14, 2014David Wells Bennett, husband, father, philosopher, musician, and friend, passed away February 14, 2014, at the age of 87, after a long and patient battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born January 1, 1927, to Wallace F. and Frances G. Bennett, the third of five children. He attended East High School and went on to the University of Utah, where he received bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics. During this time, he also played the viola in the Utah Symphony, where he met his one true love, violinist and pianist Bonnie Stone. They were married March 18, 1952.David went on to obtain a PhD in philosophy from Columbia University in New York, then returned to Utah to take up a career in the philosophy department at the University of Utah. He taught there for 30 years and was known as a voice of reason and uniter of divergent factions. He had four papers accepted for publication in noted scholarly journals (one after his retirement). He pursued his interest as a logician throughout his life, meeting weekly with colleagues in the Utah Logic Group for 24 years after his retirement, and working to solve the Twin Primes conjecture until shortly before his death.A talented musician, David had a special love for chamber music and was a founding member of the Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City and the Nova Concert Series. He loved playing chamber music with friends and was an enthusiastic audience member at Utah Symphony concerts. He also enjoyed live theater, opera, ballet, and all forms of beauty as manifested in the arts and in nature. He traveled extensively throughout the world and was especially attracted to Norway and Scotland.David's family and friends will treasure their memories of his quick wit, his loving, gentle nature, and his gift for seeking to understand all perspectives. He is survived by his adoring wife, Bonnie; their four children, Amy Johnson (Kevin), Emily Watts (Larry), Dan Bennett (Leslie Chin), and John Bennett; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned on April 13, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. in the Thompson Chamber Music Hall in Gardner Hall, on President's Circle, at the University of Utah.