Vernon Dixon Bennett

Vernon (Vern) Bennett passed away at Hospice Peterborough on Friday, May 22, 2026, at the age of 84. Born in Mission City, British Columbia, to Albert (Dick) and Lorraine Bennett (nee Le Poidevin), Vern never stopped being from there. Mission shaped him: its community, its values, especially that you showed up and did what was right. He carried that formation through a remarkable life.

A Chartered Accountant by training, Vern built a thirty-year career with Shaw Industries that took him from the boardrooms of Toronto to pipeline projects in Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. He also lived in Cronulla, New South Wales for nearly two decades and Australia became a second home. He spent a final, cherished chapter in Peterborough, Ontario to be close to family.

Vern read voraciously and travelled widely. History captivated him, Churchill in particular, and in his later years he brought that same dedication to understanding the truth and history of Indigenous peoples in Canada and what his own reconciliation genuinely required.

Vern read voraciously and travelled widely. History captivated him, Churchill in particular, and in his later years he brought that same dedication to understanding the truth and history of He is survived by his children Jonathan Bennett (Wendy Morgan), David Bennett, Peter Bennett (Renee Mashado), Haley Bennett (Paul Timpson), Nicolee Tattersall, and Blain Tattersall (Jessica); and by his ten beloved grandchildren: Robin Morgan, Ivy Morgan, Andrew Bennett, Samuel Bennett, Ryan Bennett, Ella Timpson, Lewis Timpson, Declan Evans, Grayson Evans, Connor Tattersall, and Finn Tattersall. He was predeceased by his parents Dick and Lorraine, sister Janice, and son Matthew.

To his lifelong friends: Peter Kokoska, Doug Ruttan, Bob Stewart, Brian Conroy, Bernie McCormick, Robin Murray-Nobbs, and the many others who knew him well, including the late Sam Carpenter and John Penny—he valued your friendship more than he likely ever said.

A Celebration of Life will be held Wednesday, June 3, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. (ET) at Highland Park Funeral Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, with live streaming available for family and friends in British Columbia and Australia.

To register for the livestream please click here.