James Harold Bennett

James Harold Bennett; precious father, grandfather, uncle, and steadfast loving husband to Betty Jo, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, June 11, 2014, at the age of 82. He was a constant source of unconditional love, support, and guidance. Words cannot express how much he will be missed. Jim is survived by; his daughter, Elizabeth Ann “Grace” Ferrer, his son, James Curtis Bennett II; his grandson, Connor James Bennett; and his two nieces, Marsha Melton Andres, and Melissa Melton Turner.

A resident of Kenner, Louisiana for the past 34 years, James Harold began his life in El Dorado, Arkansas on January 5, 1932. He was the only child of James Curtis and Eva Lewis Bennett, and now joins them in heaven. He is also reunited with the love of his life, Betty Jo (Melton) Bennett. On August 26, 1953, they were married, and spent over 60 years loving each other, praying with each other, and raising a family together. Separated only for a brief time by Betty’s death on February 21, 2014, they are strolling together now on the streets of gold.

Jim grew up in Smackover, Arkansas where he graduated from High School in 1949. He went on to graduate with honors from the University of Arkansas, with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1953, and earned a Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering the following year. A member of the Theta Tau Epsilon Fraternity, Jim continued past graduation as a distinguished alumnus.

Right out of college, Jim was hired as a chemical engineer for DuPont. As time passed, his managerial skills blossomed, and he quickly became one of the most respected and innovative plant mangers for DuPont. In 1977, Jim and the family moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where he was in charge of designing a new Kevlar facility. In 1980, he and Betty moved the family to Kenner, Louisiana, and for 12 years he commuted to DuPont’s Ponchatrain Works, located in LaPlace, LA, where he was in charge of every aspect of the new Kevlar plant - from concept, to construction, staffing, and production. He was an excellent “problem solver,” and was constantly streamlining production. Jim led by example. He earned a reputation for training and empowering engineers who worked under him to become successful plant managers themselves. His last position with DuPont took Jim and Betty to Singapore for approximately 5 years, where he was in charge of the entire DuPont facility there. After 42 years with DuPont, Jim retired in 1996, and began a new career as a tax expert. For the past 16 years, he worked at the Severn Avenue or Airline Highway locations for H&R Block. A devoted follower of Christ and scholar of the bible, Jim was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church. He was known to spend many hours researching and preparing for his insightful Sunday school lessons. Jim was also known for being incredibly generous, patient, humble, and for his wise leadership in all areas of his life.

On the morning of Saturday, July 19th 2014, a Memorial Service celebrating the life of James Harold Bennett will be held at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, located at 6017 Camphor Street in Metairie, Louisiana, 70003. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:30AM, followed by the Service at 11:00AM. A reception will immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Metairie, LA.