Don Hilton Bennett

A funeral service for Don Hilton Bennett, 79, of Alto will be Friday April 22nd, 2022 at the O.T. Allen & Son Chapel. A visitation will be held 1 hour prior to services also at the chapel. Interment will follow at Old Palestine Cemetery in Alto. 

Don Hilton Bennett born January 29th, 1943 went home to be with Jesus April 17th, 2022. Don H. Bennett was born in Dallas, Texas. He was a collector, lover, hugger, and planter. Don served in the U.S. Navy from Jan 1962 to Jan 1965. He was aboard the U.S.S. Carrutuck and served as a sea plane tender in the Pacific. He left the Navy after his 3-year stint was completed. He was also in the Texas National Guard while working at the Nike Missile Plant. He apprenticed as an industrial sprinkler fitter for fire protection, turned out as a fitter and was with the union for 30 years.

He married and had four children: Holly (Michal) Strann, Daniel Bennett, Jason (Clare) Bennett, and Evan (Mint) Bennett. In 1992 he married his new love, Kate Wharton and added 2 more children, William (Tiffany) Sevcik, and Suzanne Sevcik Robinson. Don loved life and the outdoors. He loved to take his children on long hikes, usually ending with someone being carried home! Don read extensively and retained the information on many subjects. If you had a question about most anything, Don usually had the answer. Don was a collector. He collected books, butterflies, seashells, flowers, trees, marbles, movies, coins and rocks. And yes, he even had petrified dinosaur poop! He also collected hearts.

Don loved people, especially babies and children. In any store he would try to strike up a conversation with a child whom he would refer to as a “shortie”. Don loved to hug and there was no escaping when he wanted his hug! Don always ended his phone conversations with “love you”, no matter who was on the other end. Don pointed the way to Jesus to all his coworkers, one who referred to him as “Don the Baptist”. He shared his faith with all who would listen and had a big heart for folks that needed a handout and a hand up. He said that he was building up his account in heaven.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, Curtis and Elizabeth Bennett and brothers David, Stanley and Gale Bennett; a sister-in-law Sharon; a nephew Kevin; and ex-wife Teresa.

Don is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years Kate, all his children, sisters, Eleta (Jo Bob) Burns, Linda (John) Morse; sisters-in-law Patsy Bennett and Sue Bennett; brothers Allen (Ruby) Bennett, Rob Bennett, Michael Bennett, and Steve (Sherie) Bennett. And the special loves of his life grandchildren: Lauren Strann, Brooke Bennett, Audi and Dirk Bennett, and Amber Box, Katie and Will Sevcik, and Sunra, J’Adore and Solamen Robinson, and (Alec, already in Heaven), who adored him as grandpa as well as many nieces and nephews.

He also left behind 9 flower beds in Illinois. We are all blessed to have known him, loved him and well will see him again.

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