Joseph “Joe” Francis Bennett, 68, of Colorado Springs, CO passed away on April 24, 2023 at home with family by his side. The eldest of ten children, Joe was born in Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts in 1955, and graduated from Melrose High School in 1973. He was a member of the US Air Force from 1976-1980, and was stationed at Lackland AFB and Norton AFB. He went on to obtain a BA in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 1983 and a JD from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1986. After law school Joe served as a deputy district attorney for the Ninth Judicial District in Glenwood Springs and Meeker, Colorado, then as a deputy district attorney for the Fifth Judicial District in Eagle. He relocated to Colorado Springs in 1991, and his successful legal career took off when he began representing clients in medical malpractice, negligence, wrongful death and civil rights cases as a partner with the firm of Cross and Bennett LLC, where he practiced for 20 years. He especially relished representing “the little guy,” clients who could not afford to hire a lawyer but were in desperate need of one. He and his firm often took cases that other lawyers had turned down, including whistleblower cases where he assisted in the recovery of money to state and federal agencies that had been fraudulently obtained by corporate defendants. Although a resident of Colorado since 1983 until his death, Joe’s roots in Boston remained strong. It took him several years to drop a distinct accent that was a source of humor many times. He was a lifelong loyal fan of the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics, and made sure his children followed in those footsteps. He was also a loyal fan of his children’s athletic and educational achievements, cheering them on through many swim meets, baseball and hockey games, and triathlons. Family was always important to Joe. He loved his Irish-American/Irish cultural background; the Chieftains and the Irish Rovers were frequent soundtracks in his life, and he was a wonderful storyteller in the Irish tradition. He obtained his Irish citizenship by descent in 1980, and cherished his trips to Ireland as well as mainland Europe during his retirement. He could often be found at Bear Creek Dog Park with his son Patrick and dog Pedey. His sense of humor will be very much missed. Joe is survived by his former wife and loyal friend Sue (née Sutton), his children Kathleen, Patrick (Vicki), Meghan, and Brian (Alyssa); his grandchildren Fionn, Bridget, Norah, Declan, and Callan; his siblings Terry (Jeff) Malcolm, Matthew (Gail), Paul, Daniel, Joni (Terry) Light, and Barbie (Tony) Linares; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Mary (née Murphy), and his siblings, Mary, William, and John. A memorial service for Joe will be held at All Souls Unitarian Church in Colorado Springs on May 13th at 2:00 PM, reception to follow. An ASL interpreter will be provided. If desired, loved ones may send flowers or make a donation in his name to The Claddagh Fund.
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