Karolee Frances Bennett Obituary (1941

Karolee Frances Bennett, age 75, of Pequannock, NJ, passed away in Algonquin, IL, on March 27, 2017. Karolee was born June 12, 1941 to her loving parents, Frank and Frances (nee Coner) Bauman. Karolee worked as a model and bartender; she was hired by DC comics to be Wonder Woman in the mid 1970's. She also opened the Playboy club in Chicago and posed for the cover of the magazine in place of Marilyn Monroe when she passed away. Karolee went on to become an insurance agent at New York Life Insurance Co. She also received her 200 hr. yoga teacher certification at Yoga Zone and her 500 hr. as a certified therapeutic yoga instructor at HEALTH Complementary Healing Center in New York City. She taught group and private classes at Satsang Yoga in Garrison, NY and NY Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. She became an ordained interfaith minister and religious educator at Heart River Center in New York City and preformed unique wedding ceremonies. Karolee had the " the gift of gab" - she loved to have rich, passionate conversations with friends and family. She also had a passion for gardening and planted magnificent flower and vegetable gardens around her pool, which she loved to swim in. She would call it her "Shangri-La." She was passionate about the environment, health and healing, and followed a strong spiritual path. Karolee loved traveling with her daughters. Lisa and Karolee traveled to Europe together, and everyone thought they were sisters because she looked so young. Their favorite part of the trip was going to an Italian club and returning to their room to watch Steve Martin's, The Man with Two Brains, and laughing so hard they cried. Jessica and Karolee took a trip to Puerto Rico where they enjoyed fabulous cuisine, dancing under Palm trees, rainforest adventures, snorkeling in the ocean (as Jessica watched on the shore because of her fear of fish), many laughs and time together. Karolee also treasured time spent with her grandchildren. Karolee is survived by her children, Lisa Bennett Matkin and Jessica Ramirez; grandchildren Max Ramirez, Tatiana Makin, and Ian Makin; sister Sandra Miller and brother Marc Bauman. A memorial service will be held 1:00 - 4:00p.m. Sunday, May 7, 2017 at The Garrison, 2015 US Route 9, Garrison, NY 10524. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Defenders of Wildife, www.defenders.org. Arrangements entrusted to Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, Elgin, IL. For more information call 847-741-1168 or visit www.symondsmadisonfuneralhome.com.