Grace Elizabeth Bennett Gasaway

Grace Elizabeth Bennett Gasaway, Judge of the City Court of Hammond, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Thursday, June 17, 2021, at the age of 60. A lifelong resident of Hammond, LA, she is survived by her husband, Bret; daughter, Brooke Elizabeth; son in law, Paulo de Faria; and grandson, Luciano Gasaway Faria. She is also survived by her sister, Patricia Westmoreland; brother-in-law, Dr. Leo Westmoreland, Jr.; brother, Henry Farley Bennett; sister-in-law, Marie Bennett; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Vera and Stanley Wade Bennett and brother, Stanley Wade Bennett, Jr.

Grace was elected as the Judge of the City Court of Hammond in 1996, and she will be remembered for her role in instituting programs and services for juveniles who appeared in her Court.

She was an honor graduate of Hammond High School, attended Southeastern Louisiana University, received an undergraduate degree in political science from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctorate from LSU School of Law.

She was a member of the 21st Judicial District Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, Louisiana City Court Judges Association, Louisiana Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, First Circuit Judges Association, the Louisiana State Law Institute, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. She was appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court to the Judicial Council of the State of Louisiana and the Judicial Compensation Commission.

Judge Gasaway was the recipient of many awards including the Annie Award, Woman of the Year in Governmental Excellence, and the Crystal Gavel Award presented by the Louisiana State Bar Association. Grace was a founding member of the Richard Murphy Hospice Foundation and served as the first president of the board.

She is a member of Grace Memorial Episcopal Church.

Visitation will be at the Leon Ford III Memorial Justice Building, 303 East Thomas Street, Hammond, Louisiana on Monday, June 21, 2021 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm

Memorial donations may be directed to the Richard Murphy Hospice Foundation or the Grace Memorial Episcopal Church. The family encourages joining the Be The Match Registry (bethematch.org) in hopes of saving others fighting Leukemia.

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