Vee and Bruce Bennett: A Sag Harbor Love Story

“The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you’re the pilot.”

— Michael Altshuler

There are most definitely many hometown Sag Harbor love stories to be found, but I think I may have uncovered one of the finest.

Not unlike Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, or Johnny Cash and June Carter, Virginia “Vee” and Bruce Bennett are a beloved couple woven into the fabric of Sag Harbor for just about all of their lives.

Bruce’s ancestors were some of the first settlers to arrive in the area in the 1600s. He is 12th generation East Hampton/Sag Harbor. Vee’s family, the Babcocks and Havens, date back to the whaling days of the harbor.

Two years apart in Pierson High School, Vee, a cheerleader — joyful, optimistic, upbeat — and Bruce, the baseball player — serious, serene, pensive — began to date during a respite from college and have been together ever since. They truly balance each other and have a dynamism that lights up a room. Vee, the leading lady; Bruce, the charming prince.

“We’re like the tortoise and the hare: Bruce is very steady, and I’m very excitable,” Vee comments. “We complement each other.”

They were married in 1976 on Tiska’s Farm in Bridgehampton and then went to Baron’s Cove Inn Restaurant for a lobster feast. “I think there were nine of us,” added Vee.

Forty-five years later, you can still feel the force that brought them together.

It would be difficult to find someone who does not know Vee and Bruce, and I don’t think you’ll find anyone to say an unkind word about them — they are a couple that glow with the awareness of the simple and treasured joy of life: a beautiful and cozy home that Bruce built, two grown sons, and no shortage of friends or places to go.

“I know life is finite,” commented Vee, “so we try our best to enjoy it.”

After their wedding, Bruce and Vee took off on a trip across the country. “It was one of our escape attempts,” muses Bruce. Another “escape attempt” from Sag Harbor found them in Fort Collins, Colorado, for nine years.

“Bruce wanted to learn how to build an entire house, taking classes at Colorado State University, and I wanted to finish my bachelor’s degree in public relations,” Vee reflected. “We bought our first home there, and our son Nicholas was born.”

It was then when they decided to return “home.”

“As majestic as the mountains were, we had Sag Harbor sand between our toes,” said Vee. “Once we started our family, we decided it was important to be with family.”

Upon their return, Vee went to work writing the Sag Harbor column for The East Hampton Star, and then wrote for the now-departed Sag Harbor Herald newspaper. Following that, she worked in public relations at Southampton College for 10 years, and later was employed by Southampton Town, working in community services for 15 years.

“I became very active with Honor Flight, an organization that flies veterans to see their war memorials in Washington, D.C.,” Vee said. Bruce began to grow his own construction business: “I had learned masonry from my father since I was 13. He used to pay me a dollar an hour. Now, as a general contractor I try to never leave Sag Harbor for work. A big criterion is being able to come home for lunch.”

Reminiscing about growing up in Sag Harbor, Vee said, “There is a memory on every street: going to Cleveland’s for a Popsicle, the Paradise after school for a Coke and a hard roll. I felt I had the run of the village, like I owned the town. My parents were very social, and they trusted me. When they went out, they would say, ‘Vee, go and have fun — we’ll see you later.’

“I lived right near the high school and grew up alongside my best friend, Jo Gwen Lattanzio (Kosinski), who lived two doors down. After school, my friends would come over to get ready for cheerleading a game or get dressed for a school dance. I loved high school. I had so much fun.”

Bruce remembers clamming and scalloping and exploring down at the Remkus Fishing Station with my cousin Jimmy. “This was a good yet naïve place to grow up,” mused Bruce. “I felt like Davey Crockett, finding ponds and camping out in the woods with my friend Harold McErlean. There were only two channels on TV, so we’d go outside and play baseball in the backyard.”

With their sons now both married and living in the city, Bruce continues to work for himself as a general contractor, and Vee has recently retired. Their time is now spent loving life together.

When asked what they enjoy, their list was long. “We enjoy cooking together: dinner, cookies, candy for the holidays. Bruce is a good collaborative chef,” commented Vee.

“I know when to get out of the way,” replied Bruce.

“And we enjoy gardening,” added Vee. “I purchase, he installs.”

Sailing is also something they are both passionate about, being active for years in the Breakwater Yacht Club’s Wednesday night races with their cousin Jim Smyth on White Lightning, and now on Osprey with George Martin. Vee is also the secretary of the Sag Harbor Yacht Club, which keeps her very busy.

“We have a great group of friends,” added Vee. “We like to meet at Long Beach for sunsets, the ocean for full moons; we go sailing, boating, clamming and out for dinner often.”

When asked about all of the recent changes in Sag Harbor, Vee responds, “The buildings are still there — it’s all still very familiar. There are more cars and more people, but I find it exciting — more people, new blood. I say to Bruce, ‘Let’s go into town and see who’s around.’

“I can’t blame them for wanting to be here. I want to be here, too.”

And so I wonder, where does all of that optimism originate? Is the propensity for a joyful life inborn or something that is cultured over time? Are some people destined to always see the glass as half full?

I think that Vee was born with this shimmering life energy, and she found the love of her life right here to share it with.

When asked if they intend to grow old here, they both laugh: “We already have! We’re locked in. All of our escape attempts are over.”

Vee and Bruce are perfectly at home in Sag Harbor, and Sag Harbor is so lucky that this is their forever HOME.