Earl Howard Bennett

Earl H. Bennett, 75, of Thomasville died Saturday after a short illness. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ivy and Leola Bennett, brothers Howard and Abby Bennett, and a sister Betty Bennett.Survivors include his wife, Drucilla Freeman Bennett; daughter and son-in-law Michelle Bennett Reddick and Dr. Niles Reddick of Tifton, daughter Monica Bennett of Maryville, Tennessee, son Thomas Earl Bennett of Thomasville, and son and daughter-in-law William Coleman Bennett and Misty Findley Bennett of Thomasville; step children Pamela Freeman Tucker of Thomasville, Jamie Michaels of Thomasville, Jesse Michaels of West Palm Beach FL, and Chisti Michaels Widener of Canton; one brother and sister-in-law Billy and Cindy Bennett of Fayetteville, sisters Patricia Bennett Jones of Lilburn and Naomi Bennett of Thomasville; and four grandchildren; Levi Bennett of Jacksonville, FL, and Audrey Reddick and Nicholas Reddick of Tifton.Mr. Bennett was self-employed as a consulting forester and appraiser. He was a member of First Baptist Church. Mr. Bennett was a 1955 graduate of Cook County High School, a 1957 graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, where he was voted "most witty," and a 1959 graduate of the University of Georgia. He was also a retired Lt. Colonel from the Georgia National Guard, having served thirty years and having graduated as a 2nd. Lt. from the Georgia Military Institute in 1960. Mr. Bennett had been a volunteer coach for the YMCA Little League for eleven years, a member of the Jaycees, where he served as President, a Thomas County Commissioner, a member of Tall Timbers, a life time member of the Archbold Corporation, and a life time sponsor of Ducks Unlimited. He served as the current Chair of the Flint River Chapter of the Georgia Division for the Southeastern Society of American Foresters, which awarded him the distinguished fifty-year service award. Pallbearers include nephews Dr. Brandon Bennett of Jacksonville, FL , John Bennett of Lake Butler, FL, Ben Bennett of Newnan, Craig Jones of Lilburn , Brian Jones of Winder, and grandson Levi Bennett of Jacksonville, FL.Honorary pallbearers include Bob Balfour III, P.W. Bryan, Larry Harmon, Forrest "Cutter" Knapp, Sonny Lee, Logan Lewis, Paul Massey, Joe Rawlings, M.D., Charles Rentz, Ronnie Shepherd, Warren Stafford, Bob Walthall. Visitation will be held Tuesday, March 13 from 6-8pm at Allen and Allen Funeral Home in Thomasville, and the service will be held at 11 am on Wednesday, March 14 at First Baptist Church with Dr. Milton Gardner officiating.In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in care of the Earl H. Bennett Memorial at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, ABAC Foundation, 2802 Moore Hwy, Tifton, GA, 31793.