Robert S. Bennett

WORCESTER - Dr. Robert S. Bennett, 73, of Holden, a prominent physician at UMass Memorial for many years, died Wednesday at Rose Monahan Hospice Home from an aggressive brain cancer diagnosed 14 months ago.   Rob leaves his wife, Susan; his daughters, Abbie Bennett Raeke of Portland, Oregon and Sarah Riley Bennett of New York City; his grandson, Malcolm Raeke; and his beloved dog, oddly also named Abbe. He also leaves four brothers and sisters, Rebecca B. Crocker and Bruce S. Bennett, both of Boynton Beach, FL; Peter S. Bennett of Gulf Stream, FL, and Rosamond L. “Binky” Bennett of Worcester. Rob was born in New York City, son of Dr. Robert E. Bennett and Rosamond Riley Bennett. He came to Worcester, his mother’s home town, at age 4 and grew up here. He graduated from Choate School and from Dartmouth College, class of 1964, where he was a member of Gamma Delta Chi fraternity and played varsity lacrosse. After two years of post-college study in the sciences, he entered Cornell Medical School, New York City, graduating in 1970. Rob continued medical training in Seattle then served two years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, spending three months aboard a nuclear submarine out of Holy Loch, Scotland. He became certified as a master diver and supervised the decompression chamber at the Groton, CT naval base. He left the Navy as a lieutenant commander in 1974. Rob completed his residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center to become a board-certified urologist. He moved back to Worcester in 1981, joining Dr. Stephen E. Tosi in private practice. Rob and Steve have maintained over many years the warmest personal and professional relationship, a curiosity in itself as Steve developed into one of the top administrators of UMass Memorial while Rob was utterly disdainful of the administrative side of medicine. Outside of his medical practice, Rob was a driven sportsman, running marathons and triathlons, riding 60-plus miles on his bike as casual exercise, and windsurfing in New England, in Texas and in Caribbean islands. Even into his 70’s, Rob loved playing ice hockey in leagues around Worcester, with ice times often at 11 p.m. or midnight, skating alongside teammates half his age. He skied with abandon right through this past ski season, even after his grim diagnosis. Despite his obvious athleticism, he claimed to be the least coordinated person ever to take a running step. Rob was a skilled mechanic and clever tinkerer in his workshop, jammed with every tool ever turned out by Craftsman or Delta. He was dedicated to the upkeep and nurturance of the flora and fauna on his 18 acres, with his tractor and with all his chainsaws and arborist climbing equipment. Most of his pursuits professionally and recreationally were solitary, an accurate reflection of his personal inclination. Rob was approachable but no big back-slapper; precision and detail were his touchstones. A luncheon to celebrate Rob’s life will be held at Tatnuck Country Club, 1222 Pleasant St., Worcester, MA 01602 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 27th. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rob’s name to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284, please mark your gift to go to the Dr. David Reardon’s research fund. To share a memory or offer an online condolence, visit our "Guest Book" here on this page.