POWNAL – Shawn Marlon Bennett, 50, passed away peacefully at the Gosnell House on Sunday, May 12, 2019, after a long battle with cancer. He was born on July 25, 1968, in Brunswick, Maine, to parents Shirley and Paul Bennett who both preceded him in death in 2009 and 2011.

Shawn grew up in Pownal surrounded by lots of family. As a kid, he could be found riding bikes, go-carts and snowmobiles, and fishing, hunting and hiking with his cousins. The love of motor sports and the outdoors was discovered at a young age and would follow him throughout his life.

Auto racing would play a huge part in Shawn’s life. Spending many weekends at local tracks (and many weeknights at local garages) supporting his favorite drivers both in the stands and in the pits. Following NASCAR and the 85 brought him great joy.

Shawn attended the Pownal school and eventually attended Greely High School in Cumberland. Although school itself would never be his passion, he created beautiful and enduring friendships that he would have his whole life. In high school, these friendships and a common love of the Grateful Dead would fuel a passion for playing music. With very little formal instruction, Shawn became quite an accomplished bass player, playing in many local bands. His last day was spent enjoying some of his favorite live music played by many of the guys he grew up playing it with.

His dad, with the help of a down east family camp, would introduce Shawn to hunting, fishing and back country dirt roads. These trips would create memories that Shawn spoke of often. After high school, a good friend would introduce Shawn to the great north woods and bird hunting. This would be the place that Shawn’s soul would forever long to be. He would end up bringing his aging Dad on a very successful and incredibly memorable moose hunt, building a camp in honor of his Dad, taking up bird hunting, and training his beloved Athena and Zoia. For the past 12 years he spent most of every October in the north woods with his dogs, doing what he loved.

Shawn also loved heavy equipment, earth moving and road construction. As a young child he could often be found out back with his Tonka trucks and matchbox cars creating vast road systems for all his “equipment”. This passion would become a career path. Some of his first jobs were driving trucks and operating equipment. Later he moved into public works serving in multiple departments for the town of Yarmouth, and eventually becoming the road commissioner of Pownal and the road commissioner of the combined Pownal Durham public works departments. The year before Shawn was diagnosed he was offered an incredible opportunity in the form of a sales and estimating job for All States Asphalt. Although it was challenging to be on the fast-paced private side of municipal road building and maintenance, this was a job that was made for Shawn, he was selling the products he believed in to the towns that he truly wanted to help. He enjoyed it tremendously and was incredibly grateful for the opportunity. He was also incredibly grateful to All States Asphalt for standing with him throughout his entire battle with cancer.

It would be Shawn’s career path and his passion for music that would eventually lead to his meeting the love of his life, his wife and partner of 28 years, Carlene. He would then step up without hesitation to raise the toddler that would eventually become his step daughter, Chelsey Elizabeth, sharing with her his love of music, the outdoors and all things motorsports.

Shawn is survived by his wife Carlene; his two sisters and their husbands, Paula and Bob Correia of Ashburnham, Mass., and Shell and Rick Harrison of Freeport; his daughter Chelsey and her partner Rob Costello; his nephews, Greg Correia and his wife Whitney, Jairet Harrison and his wife Emily, Chanler Harrison, Casey Bell and Jesse Bell; his nieces, Tara Correia and her fiancé Zach Haudenschild and Cassidy Cleaves; his granddaughter, Finley Jane Costello; his grand niece, Emmie Correia and the much anticipated baby Harrison.

A Memorial Service and Celebration of life will be held Saturday May 18 at the AMVETS Post 13, 1049 Royalsborough Road (Rt. 136) Durham, Maine, beginning at 1 p.m.

Arrangements are in the care of Brackett Funeral Home, 29 Federal St., Brunswick. Condolences can be expressed at www.brackettfh.com

In lieu of flowers donation in Shawn’s memory may be made to

Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
5526 West 13400 South, #510
Harriman, Utah 84096