Born and raised in Henry County, Bennie never left his roots and was very proud of where he was from. No matter where he traveled or who he spoke to he would always tell them he’s from Henry County. It’s where he spent some of the best times of his life.
Coming from a large family of brothers and sisters, Bennie was the youngest son, and the eleventh of twelve children of John T. and Eva Jennings Downey.
Growing up on a farm he would learn the lessons and value of hard work, patience, and humbleness. He learned how to make the best out of what you’ve been given. While he had opportunities to work in other industries (he’d worked at General Electric when he was a young man), he found that his true passion was farming.
He loved being outdoors and putting in a hard day’s work. He also loved having fun, making people laugh and spending time with family. He liked Double-Mint chewing gum and Red Man tobacco. His favorite drink during the holidays was Evan Williams Eggnog. He liked the occasional shot of Apple Pie Moonshine and always had to have ice cold water to drink when thirsty.
You seldom ever saw him without a ball cap, a smile on his face, and a spittoon of some sort for the inevitable chew of tobacco in his mouth!
He was a country music fan – old country artists such as Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, and Charley Pride.
He enjoyed John Wayne, and Clint Eastwood movies along with TV shows like Hee-Haw, the Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Walking Dead, Wheel-of-Fortune, and Family Feud with Steve Harvey, just to name a few.
When he was 25 years old he would meet a woman who would eventually become his wife and best friend. Her name was Shirley and she was a woman that would not only make him laugh, but challenge him and stand by him for the rest of her life.
They eloped when he was 26 years old. They raised two children and lived on many different farms over the course of their marriage. As a tenant farmer, Bennie was always looking for the best situation for his family. They didn’t have a lot of money but they had each other. There was always laughter in their home.
On the one day a month that Bennie would have off work from milking cows, the family would pile into the car and go to visit relatives. Family was always important to him and those times were so enjoyable as folks would sit around for hours telling stories, laughing, and drinking sweet tea.
During the summer there would be regular card games at his sister Dale’s house, and when the fishing was good then there would also be a fish fry outside while the cousins played badminton and hide and seek. No matter where you were outdoors you could hear the adult Downey siblings laughing inside the house because someone would be telling a tale on another in the room.
The stories weren’t fiction, but were of real life events that made you laugh so hard you’d cry and probably on more than one occasion wet your pants! To hear Bennie and his brothers laughing together caused every person in the room to become infected with their joy…those times were ones in which folks don’t forget. Just the mere memory of them brings a smile to your face and can cause you to laugh out loud unexpectedly.
In 2005 Bennie lost his wife Shirley. They had been married 44 years. It broke his heart and he didn’t think he would make it on his own, but he would go on to prove that he could. He had retired from dairy farming by then and ended up getting his first apartment in LaGrange at Shepherd of the Valley. There he met new friends that became like family to him. He started volunteering to help others in the building that didn’t have access to a vehicle or just needed a little assistance. All of his life prior to this had been focused on family and farming and now he had an opportunity to learn and grow and see more of what he had to give to others. The friendships he developed there would last him for the rest of his life.
Several years after living there he met and became friends with a lady by the name of Ethel. They would begin courting and eventually became boyfriend and girlfriend. His love for his late wife never ceased, but he realized that in life you can learn to love again. Their relationship and companionship with one another would sustain him for years to come.
In 2015 Bennie had the need for more managed care for his health and life so he decided to move to Providence Richwood in LaGrange. Not only was this a different lifestyle for him but he also developed many other friendships while he was there. The staff and residents grew to love him – he just had that kind of effect on people because of his kindness and ability to make them laugh.
When Bennie passed away on December 15th he took with him memories of a life well lived; one filled with love, joy, humility, kindness, forgiveness, and laughter. Prior to his death he had given his life to Christ. After many years of thinking God wouldn’t hear his prayers he found that He not only hears them but He also answers them. Prior to his passing he had very specific prayers that were answered that blessed him more than anyone will know.
Over the last several months, any time he would be taken to the hospital there was a specific ball cap that he just had to wear. On the front of the cap it reads “God is Good All The Time” and on the bill of the cap it reads “I love Jesus.” Bennie knew His Savior and His Savior knows him.
The memories we have of him will forever be in our hearts and minds. We will miss him greatly and we all look forward to the day that we can be gathered together again, sitting around a big heavenly table with the Downey family all telling stories, laughing until we cry, and just being together with each other and our Lord.
Bennie is survived by his daughter Laurie Downey and her fiancé Scott, Franklin NH, his son Kenneth Downey (Beth), Louisville KY; grandchildren Jennifer and Kimberley Downey, Shelbyville KY, Sarah Downey, Louisville KY, and Kenny Downey, Carrollton KY; brother-in-law Gene Williams (Marilyn), LaGrange, KY; sister-in-law Sylvia Downey, Eminence KY, his companion of several years, Ethel Knapper, LaGrange KY and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is predeceased by his wife and best friend of 44 years, Shirley Downey, his six brothers – Boyd, Press, Walter, Sam, Eli, and Charlie Downey, and his five sisters – Effie Clark, Dale Tingle, Margaret Combs, Mandy-Ellen Peyton, and Mildred Wainscott.
A celebration of life will be on Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the Franklinton Baptist Church, 7681 Point Pleasant Rd, Pleasureville KY. Memorial donations can be made to Opal’s Dream Foundation at https://opalsdreamfoundation.org/
Heady-Radcliffe Funeral Home in LaGrange will be handling the cremation.
Bennie’s family would like to thank the caregivers and staff at Providence Richwood – he truly cared for many of you and those he did care for he made sure he told you regularly that you were “one of the good ones.” The staff at DaVita Dialysis in LaGrange who took care of him, fought for him and loved him as their own, and to Dr. Andrew Dailey, and Dr. Aftab Ahmed who were there to encourage him – we thank you.
The staff and residents at Shephard of the Valley – thank you for loving him and being there for him for all these years. He spoke very highly of you and made lifelong friends there.
Also, we would like to thank Oldham County EMS – truly a professional team who cared for him, encouraged him and provided great service anytime he needed you.
Finally, the staff at Baptist East Hospital in Louisville particularly the nurses and aides in the Park Tower Palliative Care Unit – your kindness, compassion, love and impeccable care during his last days will be forever written in our hearts. The quality of care he received is what every human being deserves. You provided him with the absolute best care he had ever received.
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