Joe W, Bennett, Jr.

Joe W. Bennett Jr.

A private burial service for Joe W. Bennett Jr., 70, of Washington was held Monday, April 20, 2009, in the Armstrong Family Cemetery in Wilkes County with Rev. Albert W. Huyck Jr. of Tignall officiating. Beginning at 2:00 p.m., family and friends were invited to the grounds of the Armstrong House at 2990 Tignall Road, Mr. Bennett's boyhood home and presently the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Moore and Joshua and Caleb Saggus. A memorial service and celebration of his life was held at 3:00 p.m., officiated by Rev. Robert N. Murphy of Bishop.

Mr. Bennett was a native of Washington and was the son of the late Joe W. Bennett and Emelyn Armstrong Bennett Fenanga. His grandparents were the late Mr. and Mrs. George T. Armstrong and the late Mr. and Mrs. Nathan R. Bennett, all of Washington. Mr. Bennett was a 1956 graduate of Washington High School and attended Georgia Tech. He received a bachelor's degree in Forestry from the University of Georgia in 1961 and a master's in Forestry from Yale University in 1962. After a 24-year career, he retired in May 1996. He was a member and past director of the Georgia Forestry Association and the South Carolina Forestry Association.

Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Deborah Pye Bennett of Washington; three sons and daughters-in-law, Joe Bennett III and Laurie of Sugar Hill, Jon and Sabrina Bennett, and Jim and Donna Bennett, all of Washington; one daughter and son-in-law, Amy Bennett and Will Long, Washington; nine grandchildren, Will and Ben Bennett, Sugar Hill, Alli Bennett, Jessica, Zach, and Jake Bennett, and Nicholas, Bobby and Destiny, all of Washington; and a brother, George A. Bennett of Marietta.

Memorial contributions may be made to Wills Memorial Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 176, Washington 30673.

Hopkins Funeral Home of Washington was in charge of arrangements.