Helen
“Jody” Bennett Lucine died March 20, 2005, in Gilroy.
Helen “Jody” Bennett Lucine died March 20, 2005, in Gilroy.
She was born Oct. 2, 1927. She graduated from Palo Alto High School and St. Luke’s Nursing School, San Francisco, pursuing a nursing career at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia, Palo Alto Medical Clinic, UCSF and The Lahey Clinic in Boston.
Jody met her surviving husband, Dr. Andrew Lucine in Philadelphia and they married in the Stanford Chapel, Palo Alto, in 1957, beginning nearly 48 memorable years filled with love, respect and admiration of her many talents. She learned cooking from many “masters” including her mother Dorcas, her mother-in-law Ray Lucine of Philadelphia and certain members of Cordon Bleu, Paris.
She successfully carried out numerous weddings including those of her daughters, Helen Rachel, Anne Merrill (Didi) Howard and her son Albert Andrew.
Over the years, Jody has endeared herself to many people, especially her son-in-law George E. Howard III; daughter-in-law Elizabeth Colombet Lucine and four other “daughters” who think of and refer to her as “Mom,” Mary Wickershem of Gilroy, Padi Romero of Santa Cruz, Melany Dudas of Watsonville and Deanna Van Ooy Besvold of Long Beach.
She is survived by her older brother John Francis, his former wife, Polly, their daughter Erica Bennett Leary; and her younger brother Stephen Williams Bennett, his wife Linnea and their children Leslie, Merrill and Price. Jody also is survived by grandchildren Brandon and Travis Johnson, Catherine and George E. Howard IV and Katelin and Rachel Lucine.
She is preceded in death by her parents Merrill and Dorcas Bennett, and her mother-in-law Ray Lucine.
Friends are invited to a memorial service at 7pm on Monday, April 4, at Habing Family Funeral Home in Gilroy.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that any donations be made to Nursing Education Fund, Saint Louise Regional Hospital Foundation, 9400 No Name Uno, Gilroy, CA 95020.
