Joseph Benton Davenport

In loving memory of Joseph Benton Davenport (“Benton”), his family is saddened to announce his passing on Monday, January 19, 2026, one month after his 89th birthday. He was a fifth generation Georgian who proudly served In the U.S. Navy for 29 years. Our Dad was a happy man who kept his sense of humor to his last day. He was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1936 and spent his younger years in South Carolina at the Epworth Children’s Home, which he continued to support throughout his life. He was a self-made man who worked his way through Newberry College, earned a Bachelor’s Degree, and became a school teacher in South Carolina. He could dance beautifully on his roller skates and it was at a roller rink in Spartanburg, S.C. that he met a young lady, Judyth Harris. They married and raised three children – Amy Hafen of Santa Fe, N.M., David Davenport of Mount Airy, MD, and Steven Davenport of Alpharetta, GA. Judy was the love of his life, and they were married for 58 years before she passed away in 2019. They were the proud grandparents of Jeffrey Harrington, Jr. of Bellingham, WA, Corbin Davenport of Raleigh, N.C., and Tristan, Leila, and Meili Davenport, all of Canton, GA.

Dad, we miss you so much. Congratulations on a life well lived. You will always be in our hearts.