Jean Marion (McCauley) Bennett, 82 of Red Bank, NJ, died on February 9, 2026 at Bristol House Memory Care, Warrington, PA.
Born and raised in Kearny, NJ, she later resided in Point Pleasant, NJ, Lincroft, NJ, and Red Bank, NJ.
Jean attended Mary Baldwin College and Columbia School of Nursing prior to having children. She subsequently returned to college when her children were young and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Georgian Court University and pursued graduate studies at Kean College. Jean became a special education teacher in Middletown, NJ, and subsequently taught high school before retiring from teaching in 2007. During her teaching career, she also served as an official in the Middletown Township Education Association, where she was proudly jailed by the Court as a union representative during the teacher’s strike of 2001.
Jean attended St. Leo’s the Great Catholic Church in Lincroft, NJ. She dedicated many volunteer years to her church’s annual fair, and later in life, to her church’s thrift store and to the Sisters of Mercy. She also volunteered as President of the Lincroft Little League when her sons were young. She enjoyed spending time with her friends and her cousin, the late Ruth L. Brown with whom she loved to travel. Jean also loved Irish music, genealogy, history, reading, and hosting Thanksgiving dinner for family. She took special pride and joy in raising her three sons, but nothing compared to the happiness she felt as a grandmother to her nine grandchildren.
Jean is the daughter of the late Edmund and Gladys McCauley and was married for many years but divorced from the late Franklin Whiston Bennett. She is the loving mother of Scott Bennett and his wife Cindy Bennett of Mountainside, NJ, Todd Bennett and his wife Paula Nightingale of Annapolis, MD, and Drew Bennett and his wife Jennifer Bennett of Yardley, PA. She is the extremely proud grandmother of Dylan, Katie, Brooke, Ryan, Harrison, Chelsea, Caroline, Mac and Miranda Bennett. She is also survived by her niece, Elizabeth Cronin of Bay Head, NJ.
There will be a private Celebration of Life for family at Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home in Kearny, NJ on February 21, 2026.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.