Born February 11, 1942 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Brody A. and Mary E. (Calvert) Bennett, he married Eva Jeanette Ball on March 26, 1960 in Pekin. She survives.
Also surviving are one son, Kevin (Angie) Bennett of Pekin; one daughter, Sherie (David) Petty of Manchester, Tennessee; known as “Poppy Bill” to nine grandchildren, Amanda Bennett, Nicki (A.D) Duggon, Kevin “Kevy” Bennett, Justice Shanahan, Dara Petty, Danielle Petty, Lilly Petty and Levi Petty; one brother, Jerry (Mary) Bennett of Gallatin, Tennessee and one sister, Dianne (Scott) Smith of Pekin. He was also survived by his beloved Sadie Pup.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one infant sister, Mary Ann Bennett.
Bill worked for Caterpillar, Inc. for 31 years, retiring as a master scheduler in 1997.
An automobile enthusiast, Bill loved anything to do with classic cars and street rods. He was a longtime member of River City Street Rods. Known for his humorous stories and well-crafted jokes, Bill was loved by many and found it hard to meet a stranger. He was known for some elaborate pranks he played on co-workers. His grandchildren will especially miss his wittiness and Daffy Duck impressions that never failed to make the whole room laugh.
He was a wonderful, funny, intelligent, sensitive, and sometimes stubborn man who loved the Lord with all his heart. Over the last few days, Bill had several conversations with his nurses about Jesus. He wanted to see people around him turn to God and his passion for Christ was evident.
He was a member of Lighthouse Church of God in Pekin.
His private visitation and funeral will be Saturday, November 28, 2020 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes and Crematory in Pekin. Pastor Rick Hill will officiate. Burial will be in Prairie Haven Cemetery in Pekin. The funeral will be livestreamed on the Preston-Hanley Facebook page beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.
Memorial contributions may be made to Lighthouse Church of God, 1010 El Camino Drive, Pekin, Illinois 61554.
To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com
To view memorial video copy and paste in web browser: https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/TTH9PTCTK4383M2T
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18