MOUNT VERNON — William R. Bennett Sr., 85, of Mount Vernon, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday morning, April 29, 2011, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus.
He was born Sept. 9, 1925, in Portsmouth, a son of the late James Byron and Faye (Webb) Bennett. William was the registrar for Olivet Nazarene College in Illinois for 11 years and the Mount Vernon Nazarene College for 23 years. Before working at the college, William was the pastor for several churches in Ohio. William was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Mount Vernon. He was also a member of the Ohio, the Illinois, and the American Associations of Registrars and Admission Officers, and the National Society for Study of Education.
William is survived by his sons, William R. Bennett Jr. of Mount Vernon and Randall (Cynthia) Bennett of Phoenix, Ariz.; his daughters, Mary (Steve) Weber of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Carol (Peter) Larson of Arlington Heights, Ill.; 14 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; a sister, Norma Bennett of Mount Vernon; and special friends, Ron Lemasters, Erich Wald and Bonnie Rogers.
In addition to his parents, William was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen (Henderson) Bennett, on July 18, 2008; and a brother, James Bennett Jr.
The family will receive friends Sunday, May 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Flowers-Snyder Funeral Home, 619 E. High St., Mount Vernon. A funeral service will be held Monday, May 2, at 11 a.m. at the First Church of the Nazarene, 807 Coshocton Ave., Mount Vernon, with the Rev. Russ Gumm officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Olivet Nazarene University, One University Ave., Bourbonnais, IL 60914. Private condolences may be expressed to the family at http://www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.
The Flowers-Snyder Funeral Home in Mount Vernon is honored to serve the family of William R. Bennett Sr.
