Bill Bennis

William Andrew “Mr. Bill” Bennis, age 91, resident of Oakland, Tennessee and husband of the late Rosemarie “Rose” Root Bennis, departed this life Thursday morning, January 3, 2019 at the Baptist Reynolds Hospice House in Collierville, Tennessee.

Funeral Services with Military Honors for Mr. Bennis were conducted at 11 A.M. Thursday, January 10, 2019 at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Bro. Bryan Morris, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Dyer, Tennessee, officiating. Interment followed in the Halls Cemetery at Halls, Tennessee. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center – West Chapel at Oakland.

Bill was born November 29, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of the late William John Bennis and Margaret Knudsen Bennis. He was a graduate of Lane Tech High School Class of 1944 and DeVry Technical Institute and served his country in the United States Army during the World War II period. He was married March 29, 1949 to the former Rosemarie “Rose” Root, who preceded him in death on March 26, 2014 and was employed with Deluxe Check Printers as an electrical engineer for many years before his retirement.

Bill and Rose were former residents of White Bear Lake, Minnesota and Tucson, Arizona before moving to Oakland, Tennessee in 2012. He was of the Protestant faith, a member of Shriners International and a member of the White Bear, Minnesota City Council. He enjoyed camping, politics, working with electronics and videotaping, special times with his family members and friends and “having a good meal”.

Known to many as “Mr. Bill”, he is survived by his daughter, Mary Margaret Prescott (Joe) of Oakland, TN; his son, William “Bill” Bennis (Diane) of Somerset, WI; four grandchildren, Joe William Prescott, Heidi M. Lirette, William D. Bennis, Adam Bennis; and eight great-grandchildren, Hannah, Cameron, Claire, Wyatt, Camille, Abby, Alex and Andrew. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Jack Bennis.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Bill Bennis, Adam Bennis, Bill Bennis, Jr., Wyatt Bennis, Joe Prescott and Chad Lirette. Honorary pallbearers were Alex Bennis, Andrew Bennis and Cameron Lirette.