Raymond E. Bennett, age 71, a resident of Glen Ellyn, IL, and a former longtime resident of Wheaton, IL, died Thursday, March 3, 2011, at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, IL. He was born September 22, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois.

Ray went to Oak Park River Forest High School in Oak Park, IL. He was one of the founders of the Briarcliffe Youth Baseball League. He owned his own business for 25 years. He was a 25 year Mason and had served as the Past Master at both the Wheaton Lodge 269 and the Glen Ellyn Lodge 950. He was very involved in the Boy Scouts of America. He was the Scoutmaster at Troop 35 at Gary United Methodist Church, and also very involved at Troop 23 at First Presbyterian Church in Wheaton. He volunteered with the American Red Cross. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting and fishing.

He is survived by his wife, Mary; his three sons, Raymond E. (Kathryn) Bennett Jr. of Geneva, IL, W. Kendrick (Tracy) Bennett of Aurora, IL, and Matthew (Gabriela) Bennett of Winfield, IL; and five grandchildren, Mitchell and Mackenzie, Rachel, and Paige and Kyle.

A visitation will be held on Friday, March 11, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. until the time of a funeral to be held at 7:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., in Wheaton. Interment will be private at Chapel Hill Gardens West in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Interment will be private at Chapel Hill Gardens West in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to American Diabetes Association, 30 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2015, Chicago, IL 60602; the National Kidney Foundation, 215 W. Illinois, Suite 1C, Chicago, IL 60610; American Heart Association, 801 N Cass Ave # 200, Westmont, IL 60559.