Marianne Bennett

Marianne Bennett, of Albuquerque New Mexico, died peacefully at home on May 4, 2015. Born October 9, 1948 in Brooklyn NY, Marianne grew up in Fanwood and Scotch Plains NJ, where she attended Saint Bartholomew the Apostle School and Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung NJ. Marianne graduated from The College of New Rochelle with a BA in Philosophy, and obtained her JD from Brooklyn Law School. After passing the New York bar exam, Marianne moved to New Mexico, where she was Director of the Comserv Center for Legal Representation, providing legal counsel to developmentally disabled residents of state institutions. Marianne continued her advocacy work as Consulting Attorney for the Protection and Advocacy System for New Mexicans with Developmental Disabilities, Inc., and as Director of the Legal Services Office of the Albuquerque Bar Association, Inc., where she coordinated pro bono civil legal services to low income clients. In 1981, Marianne was hired as Vice President and General Counsel for New Mexico Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and became Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Rocky Mountain Health Care Corporation (RMHCC), which incorporated the former Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada. After leaving RMHCC, Marianne taught Business Ethics and Health Care Financing at the University of New Mexico Anderson School of Management and School of Law. She then became founding CEO of the California Primary Care Association, was a Senior Consultant with IBM Global Services, and finished her professional career as Chief Privacy Officer for Affiliated Computer Services. Marianne's civic, charitable and religious works were an integral part of her life in New Mexico. She was Chairman of the Governor's Task Force on Health Care Cost and Access (1985), a member of the New Mexico Medical Review Commission for 10 years, and from 1993-1994 a member of the Legislative Advisory Committee on Health Care Reform. More recently, Marianne served on the Board of Directors of both The Good Shepard Homeless Center and ARCA of Albuquerque. A devout Catholic, Marianne was a long time active parishioner at the Aquinas Newman Center of Albuquerque, where she volunteered as an instructor in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program, and traveled to El Salvador in support of the Newman Center's Friends of the Children of El Salvador. In recognition of her ongoing work, Marianne received the Dominican Ecclesial Institute's Lumen Gentium award in 2014. Marianne recently became a member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community in Albuquerque. Marianne was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Mary Jo (Freese) Bennett, stepmother Kathleen (Briggs Berning) Bennett, sister Michaele (Bennett) Landenberger, and stepbrother James Berning. She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Charles Rapson, and their sons Sean Rapson of Seattle WA, Liam Rapson of Albuquerque NM, and Phillip Ostler (Bobbie) of Albuquerque NM, and his daughters Rosalie (Ostler) Falconer and Emmalie Ostler. Marianne is also survived by her brothers Thomas Bennett, Jr. (Cathy) of Lebanon Township NJ, Ted Bennett of Akron OH, and Terrence Bennett of Upper Black Eddy PA. She is also survived by her nieces Katherine Berning-Alfred (Jason) of Bloomington MN, Amelia Landenberger of Columbus OH, and Josephine Landenberger Petrovich (Michael) of Uniontown OH; and nephews James Berning of Suffield CT, Christopher Berning (Deborah) of Canton CT, and Thomas Bennett of Big Bear Lake CA. Arrangements are being coordinated by FRENCH - Lomas, Albuquerque, NM. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday May 7, 2015 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 5415 Fortuna Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87105. A private interment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Marianne's honor to the Good Shepherd Center, 218 Iron Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102; or to ARCA, 11300 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112.