I regret to announce

[aviatoreb]

Dear Mooneyspace community I regret to announce the passing of one of our long time members and fellow Mooniac aviators.  Bennett Bibel has passed away by natural causes approximately 2 weeks ago.

I knew he was fighting poor health recently but he had not let on to me how bad it was.  Apparently it was cancer.  I wrote an email to him a few weeks ago as I do periodically as he has become one of my friends and penpals for a decade now, and a few times we met including sharing a house at Oshkosh.  But this time there was no reply right away as usual.  But then after a few days later his son replied from Bennett's email account to tell me the news.  I have hemmed and hawed for several days whether to announce to the community here, lest I step on privacy, but I think many of us knew and bonded with Bennett and I would want to know, so I think this is the kind of thing I should share.   

Many will remember Bennett's amazing M20J, surely the nicest restoration in the fleet.  Before that he had an equally no-expense spared modified 262.  But of course there was so much more to Bennett.  I don't know what to say.  I searched for an obituary, but I did not find one.  I did find this, which is a bit old, an autobiographical bio from his business.  http://www.satoriassociates.com/bio.htm  Bennett was in his mid 80's and in robust health until very recently, which I take as a blessing.  Bennett lost his wife Carol of 62 years just this past May, and I did find an obituary for her.  https://www.smdailyjournal.com/obituaries/carol-lee-grammy-bibel/article_7234aca4-82f9-11e9-97fb-8bc1132dbad1.html   

They were both very lovely people, and they will be missed, by us, and of course his family, local friends and business associates.

Sincerely to you Mooneyspace, and Sincerely to you Bennett
Erik

[MB65E]

Thanks Erik! Absolute sincere post. I had wondered as well. I was able to meet an chat with him at a Mooney lunch in the Bay Area a few years ago. He had great taste in his airplanes. His J was beautiful. A loss for sure. Kinda neat how mooneyspace brings us together. 
-Matt

[MooneyMitch]

Erik.  Thank you for posting this.

Bennett.  A wonderful man, never at a loss for words, nor enthusiasm.  A perfect example in teaching us how to enjoy life while we are able. 

 

[carusoam]

Thoughts and prayers...

Bennett had a plan for everything...

Including when to hang up his flying shoes...

-a-

[M016576]

Oh no.... what a loss.  He was a tremendous member of this community, and we were all better for having him here.  Prayers...

[bonal]

I met Bennett at a gathering put on by Lake Aero. He was very friendly and seemed very interested in my flying I enjoyed speaking with him. Also a favorite poster here as mentioned before always straight forward and respectful to others.

God speed sir may you always have smooth air beneath your wings.

[gsxrpilot]

A huge loss to our little community. Tailwinds my friend.

[Steve Dawson]

That you for sharing Erik, Like you I remember Bennet telling and showing his prestige 201 and his adventures with his 262. I think he loved life the way he wanted

[Marauder]

Sorry to hear about Bennett’s passing. He was one of the good guys.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[Tony Starke]

I never had a chance to meet Bennett in person but he sure made this little online community a better place. I ask that whoever is reading this that you would join me in raising a glass to Bennett. Fly on brother, you will be missed.

[aviatoreb]

I hemmed and hawed for several days, as I said, as to if I should announce or if rather it is a privacy thing not too.  This morning I had clarity and I realized he was a beloved member of our community and people need to know - as I would want to know.  Now this evening I see all your thoughtful responses.  Thank you.  I feel good that I had the right impulse this morning.  

Checking my emails, just now, I see my last email with him where Bennett replied himself, was 11/5.  He didn't reply to my 11/10 email. And to my 12/14 email, his son replied a few days thereafter. 

I love what you all said, but I will repeat what Bonal said,

smooth air beneath your wings.

[Shadrach]

Thank you Erik,

 I had hoped to meet Bennett in person one day as I’m often in SF for both business and pleasure. Alas, that never came to pass. Even so, I sense that his was a life well lived. While sad to know that he’s passed, I’m grateful to have interacted with him here. RIP Bennett. 

Edited December 22, 2019 by Shadrach

[INA201]

I don't know many of you guys personally but will say that I have enjoyed the fellowship among you guys and the fortune of many of the postings from Bennett.  While there are some negative aspects of public forums I think MS is fortunate to have so many great members from around the country and the globe.  I am sorry that another one is gone, RIP.

[DanM20C]

@aviatoreb  Eric, Thanks for letting us know.  I never had the privilege of meeting Bennett in person but we did trade several emails after my accident nearly 3 years ago.  He was concerned on how I was doing and wanted to relay some carbon monoxide information to me.  We discovered we both enjoy sailing, he had many great stories from crewing on Pacific Cup races to Hawaii or sailing from South Africa to Kenya in his 40ft boat...  He said "sailing was almost as good as flying.."  

Tail winds and following seas to our friend!

Cheers,

Dan

[aviatoreb]

4 hours ago, DanM20C said:

@aviatoreb  Eric, Thanks for letting us know.  I never had the privilege of meeting Bennett in person but we did trade several emails after my accident nearly 3 years ago.  He was concerned on how I was doing and wanted to relay some carbon monoxide information to me.  We discovered we both enjoy sailing, he had many great stories from crewing on Pacific Cup races to Hawaii or sailing from South Africa to Kenya in his 40ft boat...  He said "sailing was almost as good as flying.."  

Tail winds and following seas to our friend!

Cheers,

Dan

I had the pleasure to go out with Bennett in his boat a few years ago.  Although I know he was a big off shore sailor in years past.

E

[kmyfm20s]

What a loss to our community! I had the pleasure to talk to Bennett on a couple times on a few of the west coast fly in. He will be missed! 

[flyboy0681]

Informing us of his passing was the right thing to do.

The last time I saw him was January 2018, I took him out to dinner to his favorite steakhouse as a thank you for going to bat for my partners and myself with the insurance company when we suffered major damage to the wing. The insurer was about to consider it a constructive loss and when Bennett was finished with them, they agreed to fix it. He guided us every step of the way through the process and didn't accept a penny.

Bennett was quite a renaissance man, he was knowledgeable in so many areas and loved to talk about his flying experiences throughout the Caribbean and his many cross country treks. I was surprised to hear that he came from a family of Rabbis and that his dad emigrated from Poland in the 1920's and was very active in the New York and San Francisco Yiddish communites.

Like a few here, I was privileged to see his baby up close (LIFR cancelled our flight plans), a fully restored like new 1983 J model. His serial number was 11 ahead of mine but decades apart. He didn't say how much it ultimately cost, but he did mention that it was worth every penny he spent on it since he couldn't take it with him. He was also an avid sailor and the last time I spoke to him he mentioned that while he was having his all wood sailboat repaired in Oakland, it had sunk due to negligence of the repair facility. He was so heartbroken and I felt so sad for him.

Looking back at my very last message from him, dated October 2018, he closed with this after he mentioned that he sold the Mooney due to health issues: "I guess my flying days are over.  No regrets – been a wonderful experience." Bennett

Rest well my friend.

 

[Seth]

Erik-

Thanks for letting us know - I communicated with Bennett a few times but never met him in person.  

Eternal tail winds for our Mooney brother Bennett.

-Seth

 

[bradp]

Thanks Erik.  Bennett definitely made this little community better every time he contributed.  Fly west.