Barry Bennett

Mr. Barry Bennett, 74, of LaGrange, passed away Monday, November 7, 2016, at Hospice LaGrange. Mr. Bennett was born May 21, 1942, in Hogansville, son of the late Walter and Ruth Lowery Bennett. A 1964 graduate of LaGrange College, he served in the Army Reserves and retired after a long career with Aetna Life & Casualty Insurance Company, having worked in Atlanta, New Orleans, Charlotte, Columbia and retiring as the claims manager for the Pittsburgh property and casualty department. He returned to Troup County in 1996, was a member of the First Baptist Church on the Square, the Highland Country Club, and the Gala Senior Golf Association. Mr. Bennett was a member and past president of the LaGrange College Alumni Association and was a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003. Mr. Bennett spent much of his time on the golf course, even if he was just riding in the cart visiting with other golfers. Always an avid reader, Mr. Bennett collected first edition mystery novels, and at last count, had upwards of 9,000 volumes. He enjoyed gathering recipes from his travels, friends, and family members. In fact, he compiled these recipes into a cookbook, A Cooking Tradition, in the summer of 2016, so he could share these recipes with friends. Mr. Bennett will be remembered by those who had the pleasure to know him as someone who lived his life to the fullest and treated his close friends as his "family." He never hesitated to share his sense of humor, love, and friendship with those around him. He put his family before himself and was selfless in his actions. He loved his granddaughters more than anything and made sure the whole world knew it. Survivors include his daughter and son in-law, Laurie and Michael Burkett of Hogansville; grandchildren, Ashtyn Burkett and Taylar Burkett; and several cousins, including Janice Garner and Mike Eley. He was preceded in death by his wife, Melanie S. Bennett. The funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, November 10, in the Chapel of Claude A. McKibben and Sons Funeral Home in Hogansville. The Reverend Max McCord will officiate and interment will be in Myrtle Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6 until 8 Wednesday night. Claude A. McKibben and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.