Bennie Scotch passed away the morning of March 3rd, at the age of 75.

She was born May 13, 1931 to Leontina and Adelaido Martinez. While she grew up in New Mexico, Bennie fell in love with California when she moved here in the 1950s, becoming a true Californian. She was one of the first Spanish American women of Native American descent to be accepted into the California nursing program. She attended Sacramento Jr. College, where she earned her Associates Degree in 1956, and completed the School of Nursing in 1957. A pioneer in modern nursing she worked in a number of new fields including the first intensive critical care unit in Santa Barbara to managing one of the first day care centers for working families in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. During her lifetime, Bennie was dedicated to helping others. For 50 years she served as a Registered Nurse. Throughout her career, Bennie worked in every aspect of nursing from critical care to nursing education. Proud of her profession, she was still working at Lompoc Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center at the time of her death.

As much as Bennie loved being a nurse, it never compared to her love for her family. In 1963, she married her husband, Carmine Scotch who passed away in 1998. Her three children, Debbie, Lisa her husband Jeffrey, Carmine his partner Paul, and in turn her three grandchildren, Katie, Elizabeth, and Christopher were her true passion. Whether it was making tamales, feeding the geese at the park, or sneaking a five dollar bill into a grandchild's pocket, she always found ways to show how much she cared; spending every minute she could with them. She will be greatly missed by her surviving 10 brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren, her dog Chloe, and the many adopted friends she called family.

All who knew Bennie are welcome to attend the vigil at La Purisima Church, 213 W. Olive Avenue, in Lompoc Thursday March 8, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. A mass will be held Friday March 9, 2007 at 11:00 with grave side services to follow.