Charlotte Ruth Bennett passed away at UF Spanish Plaines Hospital in The Villages, Florida on July 12th, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Charlotte was born to Clarence and Ellen (Danker) Smith in Kankakee, Illinois on May 20th, 1944. She is survived by her son, Barry and Lisa (Bushong) Vonlanken, stepson Chad and Julie (Hardesty) Bennett. Grandchildren: Jason and Emily (Plantenga) Vonlanken, Aaron Vonlanken, Ryan and Ericka (Mitchell) Vonlanken, and Lauren Schaefer; and great grandchildren: Clara Vonlanken, Benjamin Vonlanken, Eleanor Vonlanken, Kenzie Schaefer, and Ashton Bennett. Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Dr. Dale Bennett in 2018 and her grandson Jackson Bennett in 2025.

She is also survived by her siblings; Roger and Pat (Steed) Smith, Joyce and Dale Meyer, David and Jane (Dille) Smith, Martha and Rick Wessel, Susan Hyatt, and Paul Smith.

Charlotte earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Olivet Nazarene College, her master’s degree from the University of Illinois, and doctorate from the University of Iowa. She spent her career educating and mentoring young people. She taught in elementary and middle schools in the Kankakee, Illinois area followed by several years as a professor at Purdue in Hammond, Indiana. After moving to Evansville, IN, she taught Language Arts in the Evansville Catholic schools, followed by 27 years as the principal of St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Newburgh, Indiana. She then supervised student teachers from USI for a few years after retiring from St. John in 2012.

Charlotte moved to The Villages, Florida in 2019 where she stayed busy playing golf, planting flowers, sharing baked goods with her neighbors, as well as attending stamp and card making classes, and many other activities. She was also a world traveler, completing multiple cruises and trips with friends and family.

A celebration of life gathering was held at her home for family, close friends, and neighbors in The Villages. Her funeral will be August 8th at Titzer Funeral Home in Newburgh, Indiana from 1-3 pm followed by interment next to her husband Dale at St. John Mausoleum.