Marlene "Queenie" Bennett

Marlene “Queenie” Coleman Bennett, passed away peacefully Sunday, December 22, 2019, after a brief illness.

Born April 26, 1942, in Pocatello, Idaho. A blue-eyed blond, she enjoyed childhood interests like designing clothes for paper dolls, standing on her head and skipping rope. In high school she participated in drama and excelled as a gifted singer. While a senior at Pocatello High, the Dean of Girls, Ms. Emma Lou Belle, and Marlene’s mother submitted Marlene as a contestant in the Junior Miss pageant. Marlene learned of this only when she saw her picture in the Sunday paper. After winning the title of Miss Idaho, Marlene competed in the Miss America pageant advancing to the finals.

With scholarship money in hand, Marlene studied at Brigham Young University and later transferred to the University of Utah. She graduated with a degree in business. After marriage and the birth of her first child, the family moved to the shores of Maryland and Washington D.C.  She chose motherhood as her first priority but created opportunities to develop her gifts. She retained her beautiful soprano voice and once prepared, with an alto, a full-length recital. She mastered social entertaining with attractive table settings and became a connoisseur of cooking and baking.  Her friendships made on the East Coast endured even after her family returned to Utah.

One of the highlights of her adult life was playing the role of Celia in the production “Promised Valley”, a musical play commissioned in 1946 to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Mormon Pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley. “Promised Valley” became an overwhelming success, enduring in popularity for over six decades. Marlene savored attending the ballet and the symphony. She loved quiet moments observing nature. Although she was fully engaged in raising her 5 children, she welcomed requests to sing, and she opened her home to other musical performers. Marlene regularly volunteered at the Gina Bachauer International Piano competition, and she sponsored a contestant in her home.

As her children approached the time of leaving the nest, she ventured into the professional world: a bridal registry consultant at ZCMI, a manager of the beauty department at Nordstrom, a manager of a 13-room bed and breakfast, and a receptionist at Durham, Jones & Pinegar Law Firm. She took great delight in brightening the world around her. The light of her countenance reflected her own inner beauty. The saying, “She leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes,” is a fitting description. She was a fun-loving mother, often embarrassing one of her more bashful children with impersonations of Julia Child. She loved giving, whether it was gifts or acts of service. She noticed those on the fringe of society. She found ways to lift others; slipping some cash into a waitstaff’s hand or stopping to talk with an acquaintance and giving a sincere compliment. After retiring, she enjoyed her 16 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, traveling with friends, golfing and fishing.

Marlene is preceded in death by her parents, Marion Lee and Edith Zeyer Coleman. She is survived by brothers Wayne (Teri) Coleman, Reed (Karen) Coleman, and sisters Coleen (Jay Dee) Clark, Shonnie Coleman, and children Alison (Gregg) Thorsen, Matthew (Trisha) Bennett, Noelle (Brett) Luddington, Catherine (Jason) Beveridge, and Ashley Bennett.

Funeral services will be at noon, Monday, December 30, 1461 N Main Street, Centerville, Utah, 84014. Friends may call starting at 10:30 am. Interment will be at Memorial Holladay Cemetery, 4900 S Memory Lane, Holladay, Utah, 84117.