Jack Eugene Bennett of Tifton passed away on Thursday, October 20, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 22, 2011, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. Rev. Nick Bennett and Dr. Wayne Roe will officiate with burial to follow in the Veterans Section at Tift Memorial Gardens. James Boundey, Jeremy Knight, Clay Pilkinton, Rob Bennett, Drew Pilkinton, Jeffrey Chastain, Dane Green, Mitchell Green and Chase Green will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Saturday, October 22, 2011, at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals from 2:00 p.m. until the hour of the service.
Born in Douglas on January 25, 1932, he was the eldest child of the late Jack and Frances Bennett. After graduating from Tifton High School, Jack enrolled at Mars Hill College in North Carolina to continue his studies as a classical pianist. Putting those plans on permanent hold after graduating from Mars Hill, he enlisted in the United States Navy and became a hospital corpsman. He served in this capacity at the Charleston, SC and the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Naval Hospitals; the Naval Air Station Dispensaries in Hutchinson, Kansas and Corpus Christi, Texas, as well as at the Delmar Fleet Medical Service School at Camp Delmar, California. He was then transferred into the 3rd Marine Division serving at Camp Hague. Completion of that assignment found him serving with the 7th Brigade at the U.S. Marine Naval Air Station, Camp Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. He finished his Navy duties at the Oakland, California U.S. Naval Hospital, after which he received an honorable discharge from the Charleston, SC, U.S. Naval District. Returning to Tifton, he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked until his retirement in 1990. He made his profession of faith as a young boy at the First Baptist Church in Tifton.
Besides his parents, Jack was preceded in death by a sister, June Bennett Lindsey and her husband, James Lindsey; a nephew, Jimmy Lindsey and a great-nephew, Colby Hooper. He leaves behind two brothers, Nick Bennett (Nancy) of Port St. Lucie, FL, and Ray Bennett (Marolynn) of Tifton and Deer Lodge, TN; and two sisters, Carolyn Bennett Pilkinton (Bob) of Tifton and Milva Bennett Knight (Roy) of Waycross.
His nieces and nephews are Stephanie Bennett Irwin (Mike) of Palm City, FL; Rob Bennett (Suzanne) of Abingdon, VA; Christina Bennett Nestor (Jeff) of Melbourne, FL; Cynthia Lindsey of Tifton; Renee Lindsey Winter (Robert) of Alpharetta; Trudibeth Bennett Boundey (James) of Rossville; Dan Bennett of Deer Lodge, TN; Lisa Pilkinton Green (Dane) of Omega; Clay Pilkinton (Jenny) of Tifton; Jo Ann Knight Chastain (Jeffrey) of Orlando, FL; and Jeremy Knight (Deborah) of Dunwoody.
Great nephews and great nieces are Amanda, Joshua, and Matthew Irwin; Austin, Kyler, Abigail Grace and Brianna Bennett; Jonah, Joshua, Grace and Elizabeth Boundey; Hunter, Drew, Alexis and Aiden Pilkinton; Chase, Mitchell and Todd Green; Jessica Chastain Abell (Jason), Jaci, and Jenna Chastain; and Brittany and Brandon Winter. Jack’s great-great nephews are Eli, Brody and Grant Abell.
He is also survived by a special cousin, Winona Maddox Gates (Max) of Clayton, along with many other cousins, and a special aunt, Millie Herring Maddox of Carrollton.
Jack will best be remembered by his siblings for his love for his family and as the major caregiver for their mother and dad during the last years of their lives. He often said it was his greatest blessing to be there with them and be able to minister to their needs. The family is also grateful to their brother, Ray, who unselfishly gave of himself to care for Jack during his illness.
The family thanks Dr. Brent Savelli for his compassionate care to Jack for many years, as well as Dr. Don Roberts, the staffs of the Golden Living Center, Tift Regional Medical Center and the Oncology Department of Tift Regional Medical Center.