12/01/2025
Bennett Dear
Bennett Dear was an educator, storyteller, and performer.
On February 21, 1954 at 11:00am Frank Harding Lee and Bessie Louie gave birth to their first child, their son, Bennett Harding Lee. Following Chinese tradition, Grandma Lee, Bennett’s paternal grandmother gave Bennett his Chinese name. She named him Yong Ming. Yong means brave. Ming means bright.
Bennett was born and raised In San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood. Bennett loved exploring. He loved the planetarium shows at Morrison Planetarium across from DeYoung Museum. He thought he might grow up to be an astronomer, if it didn’t mean staying up late all night. Bennett loved visiting great halls of Main Public Library in San Francisco civic center. Listening to echoes of his own footsteps as Bennett climbed the grand staircase that led to massive rooms filled with books. Bennett loved music and performing. He remembers piano lessons as a kid. Bennett took tap dance lessons from the renowned Tony Wing.
Bennett’s biological dad Frank died early from kidney disease in 1959. In 1969, Bennett’s mother remarried. Bennett and Bennett’s sister were legally adopted by kind and loving step father July Chee Dear.
Bennett graduated from University of California Irvine with a BS Computer Science. Later, he earned MS Systems Management from University of Southern California. Bennett worked for various Fortune 500 companies programming computers. Bennett later taught computer classes at Golden West College in Huntington Beach and Sierra College in Rocklin and Grass Valley. After 30 years, Bennett left a career in computers to pursue teaching, storytelling, and performing.
Bennett was a storyteller and performer at heart. Bennett’s first job was at Disneyland. He worked at Tahitian Terrace Restaurant and Enchanted Tiki Room. Disney hired Bennett as a cast member to bounce around like the Tigger character in the Winnie the Pooh parade. Bennett served as house manager at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa. He was a model at Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters where he modeled A Mexican Vaquero created by Frederic Re*****on in 1890. He volunteered as a supernumerary in Opera Pacific’s productions of Carmen And Aida.
When the indoor stage wasn’t grand enough, Bennett moved his storytelling performances to the great outdoors. Bennett applied and was accepted as a national park ranger for summer seasons at four different national parks; Arches, Grand Canyon, Denali, and Mesa Verde. At Arches NP, Bennett lead adventure minded visitors on a 2-mile walk through the Fiery Furnace. At Grand Canyon NP, he showed visitors how to spot condors on the way to Hermit’s Rest. Bennett ran the visitor center at Denali National Park. Visitors praised it as being well-designed and engaging. Bennett’s favorite assignment was Mesa Verde National Park where he led groups of 50 visitors. Following Bennett’s lead, visitors climbed 32-foot high ladders and crawled through 12-foot long tunnels to witness and experience amazing 12th century cliff dwellings.
In 2006 Bennett moved to San Diego. Bennett drove a 42-foot long double deck zoo bus and gave tours of the world famous San Diego Zoo. He danced with Finest City Squares square dance club. In 2016 he toured London and explored Bath, England. He spent six months in Costa Rica hiking through the rain forests. In 2018, Bennett moved to Denver Colorado and worked at Denver Mountain Parks, Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. In his spare time, Bennett conducted tours of Molly Brown House Museum.
In 2020, Bennett moved back to his house in Nevada City, California. Bennett volunteered as a tour guide at Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley and at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. He was an enthusiastic supporter of CATS Community Asian Theatre of the Sierras. Bennett taught classes in mahjong and Feng Shui.
Bennett was married to his loving spouse and life partner James Wood Strahan. They lived happily together since 1985 (40 years). They were legally married in 2008. They shared interests in Broadway musicals, storytelling, and other performing arts. They shared a love of tall pines forests and hikes in nature.
Bennett is survived by family and friends who loved Bennett Dear. Including his loving spouse Jim Strahan, Bennett’s mother, Bennett’s sister, brother in law, and nieces.
We miss Bennett’s bright smile, quick storytelling mind, and boundless energy.
No formal memorial service. Fond memories of Bennett Dear live on in our hearts.
