David Palmer Bennett

David Palmer Bennett, age 87 of Perrysburg, Ohio passed away March 10, 2017 after a long and courageous battle with dementia. He was born in Dayton, Ohio on April 9th, 1929 to Milton and Anna (Hartley) Bennett. David spent the majority of his childhood in Adrian, Michigan before moving to Toledo in 1942. David was a 1947 graduate of DeVilbiss High School and was inducted in the DeVilbiss Hall of Fame in 1992. He continued to attend high school reunions and enjoyed seeing his classmates. After high school, he attended the University of Toledo and studied Electrical Engineering. David’s entrepreneurial roots started at the age of 13 when he worked side-by-side with his father at the Pak-A-Snak restaurant on Cherry Street in Toledo which was operated by his father. His father’s untimely passing in 1951 led to the taking over of the family restaurant by David and his brother, Milton Jr who were in their early 20’s. In 1955, the brothers inked a deal to develop Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants in Northwest Ohio. Subsequently, they became involved in hotel and real estate development as well as opening additional restaurants and subsidiary businesses. David truly loved living in Toledo. He was proud of his contributions to the city by means of his businesses and his work on many boards including Progress National Bank, Capitol Bank, St. Francis De Sales, and St. Vincent’s Hospital. For well over 50 years, David presided over the largest family-owned hospitality company in Northwest Ohio; Bennett Enterprises. Under David’s direction, this company grew to include hospitality venues- The Holiday Inn French Quarter and The Quality Inn, Perrysburg, Ohio, The Hampton Inn, Maumee, Ohio and The Quality Inn and Suites, Monroe, Michigan. The company also includes the restaurant chains of Frisch’s Big Boy, and Ralphies. Bennett Enterprises presently employs 1,300 people and includes substantial land and retail holdings throughout Northwest Ohio. Since the company’s inception, Bennett Enterprises has provided employment to over 200,000 people in the Northwest Ohio area. David loved creating, designing, building and expanding his business. David’s vision, instinct and extraordinary math skills along with his natural abilities to design and construct his own buildings allowed him to see into the future to create the company that stands today. He had a passion and a true love for anything concerning University of Toledo Rockets. He was a benevolent contributor to The Rockets sports program. He served many years on the Athletic Board of Control for the university. He was actively involved in the renovation of the Glass Bowl in the 1990’s which propelled the University of Toledo’s sports venue into the premier stadium that exists today. He was a member of The University of Toledo’s President Club. He was part of the interview committees that brought Chuck Stobart, Nick Saban, Gary Pinckel, and Tom Amstutz to the University Of Toledo. He was an original founder of The Rocket Club and enjoyed helping with the plans that included the building and renovating of Savage Hall. He loved attending both football and basketball games and was a season ticket holder for many years. David was not only an excellent self-made businessman but he was a kind, unassuming and humble person. He was a hard worker who spent countless hours building his business. He was a benevolent patriarch of his organization and treated and cared for his employees like family. This is evident from the large number of long-term employees who have spent their lives working solely at Bennett Enterprises. David’s philosophy on running his company included allowing his employees to be responsible and part of the decision-making process which contributed to the success of the company. David’s simple approach to business and kindness to others meant that David’s handshake would seal a deal and his word was his bond. David has many trusted employees who are the essence of the business and who continue to make his vision possible. This group of people includes Rob Armstrong, Mark Wuertz, Susan Baer, Beth Hammond, Gary Saddler, Brian Rathge, Dave Schalitz, Mark Wallace, Ron Witt, Scott Aldrich, Ralph Benington and Russ Sturgill and Steve Clarkson. He also greatly appreciated all the supervisors and managers who, over the years, made it possible for his company to be successful. David cherished many friendships that lasted a lifetime. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Milton Jr. and Robert. David was married to Joyce Bennett and has 4 children from that marriage: Sondra Alden, Steve Bennett, Jeff Bennett and Jim Bennett. In 1982, David married Susan Schauweker Miller. They enjoyed an extremely happy 34 years of marriage. Susan, who survives him, brought her two children to the marriage: Kristine Miller Smith (Joe) and Molly Miller Noble. David has 12 grandchildren: Ryan Bowers (Britt), Greer Alden, Sara Grenier (Ryan), Michael Bennett (Kourtney), Rachel Skinner (Greg), Carly and Annie Smith and Jack Noble. He also has 8 great-grandchildren- Paxton and Mason Bowers, Dylan Grenier, Zac and Ben Skinner, and Gavin and Braylon Alden. A heartfelt thank you with deepest gratitude to his devoted and loving caregivers, Dana Nowak, Kelly Ewbank and Kathleen Pelow. They showed kindness, compassion, love and tremendous comfort. They are angels on Earth. David will be remembered for his happy demeanor, his gregarious attitude, his “piss and vinegar” approach to life and his beautiful and generous heart. To know David, meant that you had made a friend. Even in the last stages of dementia, his true self continued to shine through a good, wonderful man with a beautiful and kind heart. Visiting hours will be held at Witzler-Shank Funeral Home, 222 E. South Boundary St., Perrysburg, Ohio (419-874-3133) on Wednesday, March 15th from 2-5 pm. At 5:00 pm, a celebration of David’s wonderful life will be at the Holiday Inn French Quarter in the atrium. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that tributes be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) - 24359 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 125, Southfield, MI 48075 or jdrf.org