In 1948, he married Arlene Gettelman; they had two children: Alice Bennett Groh and Bija Bennett. In 1976, Bennett suffered a head injury during a kayaking accident that placed him in a coma, after which he had to relearn how to walk. He died on October 13, 2018, at his home in the
Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. Services were held at
Congregation Solel in
Highland Park, Illinois. ==References==