Bennett Hamilton Grills

Son of George Benjamin and Barbara Whittle Grills, he was preceded in death by his beloved father in 1994. He is survived by his devoted mother Barbara of Greensboro and an extended family who loved him dearly, including aunts and uncles Betty Whittle, Emily Whittle and John Bowman of So. Pines, NC; Jane Grills Jones and husband Alton of Holly Springs, NC; Jean Grills Smith of Boone, NC; Patrick H. Grills and wife Cathy of Greenville, SC; James Michael (Mickey) Grills and wife Weilee of Glen Allen, VA; and numerous cousins.

Bennett was born in Charlotte, NC, on July 8, 1983, and early on exhibited extraordinary curiosity and intellect. Home-schooled by his mother during his early years, he attended New Garden Friends School in Greensboro from grades 4-8, where his unique gifts and gentle spirit were loved and nurtured. He graduated from Northwest High School where he excelled academically and went on to study at Appalachian State University.

After his time at App State, he enlisted in the US Navy in 2005 where he served admirably for 18 months. There, he earned the honor of “Distinguished Military Graduate” after completing the Fire Controlman Class “A” course at Great Lakes, Illinois. This distinction was awarded “in recognition of his leadership abilities, outstanding military bearing and academic excellence and a dedication and devotion to the naval service that was far above that of his fellow students.”

Since his return home after honorable discharge from naval service, Bennett has been employed by Accelerando, Inc. of Greensboro as an IT specialist, where he was greatly respected for his technical skill, his gentle nature, and excellent work ethic.

Bennett was a voracious reader and had a keen interest in history, particularly history of the Revolutionary War. He enjoyed participating with the Guilford Militia and other groups in educational re-enactments and encampments throughout the southeast. He had a strong interest in wildlife preservation and especially loved tigers and other big cats. Foreign travels had taken him to Belize, Guatemala, the Galapagos Islands, Russia, Japan, and the Republic of Ireland; he had looked forward to many more travels.

Bennett was admired by all who knew him for his formidable intellect and loved by all for his kind and gentle nature, his quiet sense of humor, and his generous heart. He will be greatly missed.

Due to restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic, a memorial celebration of Bennett’s life will be postponed until further notice on this site. Condolences may be sent to www.haneslineberryfhnorthelm.com.

His family suggests that donations in his honor might be made to one of the following organizations:

. The National Wildlife Federation at https://support.nwf.org/page/8844/donate/1

. The New Garden Friends School which nurtured him so compassionately during the time of the loss of his father. Donations can be made at https://www.ngfs.org/support-us/bennettgrills.cfm or mailed by check to 1128 New Garden Rd., Greensboro, NC 27410, earmarked for the Bennett Grills Memorial Scholarship Fund. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/donate/

A memorial service for Bennett Grills will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 18, 2021, in the chapel at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 607 N. Greene St., Greensboro. Following the service, family and friends are invited to the Piedmont Environmental Center, 1220 Penny Road, High Point, where a memorial bench will be dedicated to Bennett at 4:30. The bench is being placed on the preserve at PEC by his family and his friends at Accelerando, Inc. Notification of plans to attend will be greatly appreciated by Bennett’s mother, Barbara: bgrills@triad.rr.com.