William (Bill) James Bennett was born April 6, 1949 in Ponca, Neb., to James E. and Eva Faye (Olander) Bennett. He died at Ava’s House in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 19, 2026, 12 weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; he was 76.
Bill was a son, husband, father, brother, uncle and cousin. For the first four years of his life he lived on the family farm in the Newcastle, Neb., area. The family moved to the westside of Sioux City, Iowa, eventually settling in the Leeds area where he spent his formative years. Bill attended St. Boniface and St. Michael’s (Leeds) grade schools. In fourth grade he contracted polio and was homeschooled. Bill graduated from Heelan High School in 1967. He was a proud member and starting right guard/linebacker on the state-ranked 1966 Crusader football team.
Bill first met Maureen Kenney when they were freshmen at Briar Cliff College in Sioux City in 1967. They were married in September 1971 in St. Paul, Minn. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Briar Cliff. Bill joined the U.S. Army Reserves during the Vietnam era and served for six years, being honorably discharged as Staff Sergeant (E-6).
Bill and Maureen had three children: Amy, Christine and William, Junior. His career in the hospitality industry began at the Sheraton Warrior Hotel in Sioux City, starting when he was a sophomore in high school. After graduating from Briar Cliff, he continued in full-service hotel management roles in 23 hotels in 16 cities in 11 states, as well as two freestanding restaurants and a city-owned convention center.
The Bennett family moved to Sioux Falls in 1991. Bill’s last hotel role was as General Manager of the Sheraton Sioux Falls Hotel and Sioux Falls Convention Center. He retired in 2008. When he was 60, he received a master’s degree in Higher Education from South Dakota State University. Bill embarked on a second career as a professor at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn., teaching hotel administration courses in SMSU’s four-year hospitality program. Bill retired from teaching in 2013.
He considered himself a lifelong learner. After retirement Bill took classes through Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and was part of several writing groups. He delved into genealogy of the Bennett/Olander families and combined several memoirs into an autobiography. He was proud of his heritage: Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, German, French and a small amount of African.
In retirement, Bill and Maureen enjoyed time with their four grandchildren: Brandt, Emerson, Franklin and Wesleigh. They traveled with college friends to warmer climates in the wintertime. In 2015 Bill and Maureen took a trip to Ireland, visiting many places that Bill had researched about in his genealogy pursuits.
Bill mentored many students and created opportunities to expand hospitality education at K-12 and post-secondary levels through service on a number of advisory boards. In his career Bill also served on various hotel association boards throughout the Midwest. “Mr. B” was a tough boss who cared deeply about his teams and expected great things from them — but only because he knew they were capable. Bill’s three children each had the “opportunity” to work for him in various roles as well.
Bill loved dogs and had at least one at nearly every stage of his life, often saying he liked dogs “better than most people.” Bill was an avid sports fan, especially for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits and the Heelan High Crusaders. In his life he accumulated numerous sports collectables and vintage sports memorabilia.
A lifelong Roman Catholic, Bill sang in the choir at St. Michael Church in Sioux Falls after retirement, returning to his high school Glee Club roots. He was also part of the Village Singers, a collective at the Village Cooperative where Bill and Maureen lived.
To say he was passionate about conservative politics would be an understatement. Bill lived out the quote often attributed to Winston Churchill: “If you are not liberal when you are young, you have no heart. If you are not conservative when old, you have no brain.”
Bill is survived by his wife of 54 years, Maureen, Sioux Falls; children Amy Bennett Smolik, Tea, S.D.; Christine (Peter) Bisson, Manchester, N.H.; Bill, Jr., Austin, Texas; grandchildren Brandt and Emerson Smolik, Tea, S.D.; and Franklin and Wesleigh Bisson, Manchester, N.H.; sister Madonna (Scott) Castle, Merrill, Iowa; brother Mark (Becky) Bennett, Winston-Salem, N.C.; brothers-in-law Bob Kenney (Marla Cummings), Oakdale, Minn.; Michael Kenney, St. Louis Park, Minn.; and sister-in-law Monica (Al) Kenney Tolson, Collegeville, Penn. He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews and many friends he considered family.
Bill was preceded in death by his five infant sisters, parents, in-laws Bob and RoseMary Kenney, and son-in-law, Matt Smolik.
The family wishes to thank the amazing caregivers from Ava’s House and the Sanford Oncology floor who made Bill’s stay as comfortable as it could be.
A Visitation will be held 5-7 PM, Monday, April 20, 2026 at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Sioux Falls. A Celebration of Life will be held, 11 AM, Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church.
Celebrate a life with the whole community in The Dakota Scout. Contact obits@thedakotascout.com to have your loved one remembered today.