May-Lis Bengson Jensen

May-Lis Bengson Jensen of Haddam, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2026, at Commonwealth Senior Living in Haddam, surrounded by her husband and daughter.

Born on January 7, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, to Gust and Hulda Bengson, May-Lis grew up in Brooklyn and earned her nursing degree from Hunter College. She married Allen Halvor Jensen on June 5, 1965, in Brooklyn. While raising their four children, she devoted herself to homemaking until her youngest began college, after which she worked at H&R Block and FAS of Rocky Hill before retiring.

During Allen’s career in the U.S. Navy, May-Lis and her family lived at various duty stations including Davisville, Rhode Island; Monterey, California; Fairfax, Virginia; Brunswick, Maine; and Patuxent River, Maryland. In Brunswick, she capably managed the household and cared for their four children while Allen served in Saudi Arabia. The couple settled in Haddam after Allen’s retirement.

An active member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Middletown, May-Lis served in its Social Ministry. Her family was the center of her life, and she carried forward her mother’s love of gardening.

Predeceased by her parents and her sister Ann Manley, May-Lis is survived by her husband of 60 years, Allen, and her children: Peter Jensen and his wife Karen of Ridge, Maryland; Cynthia Jensen of Avon, Connecticut; Thomas Jensen and his wife Christine of Fiskdale, Massachusetts; and Kristina Smith and her husband Brian of Raynham, Massachusetts. She is also survived by her grandchildren Evan, Andrew, and Erik Jensen, Alex Jensen, Emily Smith, and Kaitlyn Smith, as well as sisters-in-law Jean Aram and Joan Jensen and brother-in-law John Manley, Sr.