Charles "Chuck" Gary Bennett died March 4th after a short illness at the age of 60. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio to Clay & Dana Bennett, Chuck graduated from West High School in Columbus, Ohio before joining the United States Army where he proudly served in the 10th Special Forces in Bad Tolz, Germany during the Vietnam War. After his service, Chuck returned to Ohio where he founded the electronic design and software development company BenaTong with his wife, Victoria Tong.

Chuck helped to develop some of the first commercially available, object oriented computer applications and went on to work as a software developer for Kace and Dell. Most recently he was employed by Ohio University as an IT technologist for the Chemistry and Biochemistry Departments and as a contractor with the OhioSeis Network for earthquake detection, streamlining their data capture and analysis.

He was a U.S. patent holder (for a pipe marking system that he developed for the steel industry), a HAM radio enthusiast, a certified pistol instructor, a hunter, an avid scuba diver, and an outdoorsman. A true friend to many, Chuck was a fiercely devoted husband and loving father.

Chuck was preceded in death by his grandmother, Martha Gary, his parents Clay & Dana Bennett, and by his mother-in-law, Harriett Tong.

He is survived by his wife, Victoria, his daughters Jessica Bennett (Caleb Strait) and Diana Bennett, his brother and sister in law Jon and Ann Bennett and his father-in-law James Tong.

He will be dearly missed by all those whose lives he touched in Ohio and around the world.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are with Jagers & Sons Funeral Home, Athens. Please share a memory, a note of condolence or sign the online register book at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.