Obituary For William "Bill" Bennett Jr

His Legacy ...

William "Bill" Bennett Jr. was born Wednesday, December 25, 1946, at General Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio to William, Sr., and Eleanor Wilson Bennett. William was the second of five siblings. Carole, Gary, Wanda, and Alicia.

Bill's family curated his love of animals. They grew up with dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs and even a monkey. Bill was close to his siblings, and enjoyed giving his younger sisters, Wanda and Alicia, piggyback rides.

Bill's father taught him about construction and together they built the family residence in Wyoming, Ohio. These skills would prove to be very helpful in his career as an adult.

Bill attended Wyoming High School and Xavier College; it was there he studied chemistry. Bill was married in 1966 to Jennifer Clay and from their union they had one son, William Todd Bennett. In 1980 Bill married again to Sheryl Preston of 20 years and to their union they produced three children: Jillian, William Christopher, and Charles.

In the mid-seventies Bill moved from Cincinnati, Ohio and headed south to Atlanta, Georgia. For a few years he worked in rehab clinics as a counselor, but he had a love for the entertainment industry. He started his career in the audio-visual business in the late seventies for conventions and later ventured into stage and theater production as a stagehand for both the Fox Theater and Civic Center.

Over the next 35 years Bill would establish a thriving career in the several facets of the entertainment industry, including theater, television, and film. He will be remembered for his leadership, training, and mentorship of many black men and women who aspired to be a film technician. A legacy he has passed on to William Todd and William Christopher. You may not have seen his face on screen, but he was a crew member on blockbuster productions like: Spike Lee's School Daze, Robo Cop, and the Hunger Games just to name a few.

In 1987 Bill and six colleagues in film production would come together to discuss concerns regarding the lack of opportunity for them in film and commercial production in Georgia. Having just worked on Spike Lee's "School Daze" these young men were excited and wanted to work. Recognizing the need to be the catalyst for change these young aspiring film producers organized and became the "Black Film Technicians Society" a.k.a. BFTS. Over the next two years BFTS which was housed in the Mass Communications Department at Clark Atlanta University would meet weekly. BFTS had fundraisers and offered seminars and workshops with industry directors and producers. It wasn't long before this caught fire and many Clark Atlanta University Mass Media Students became members as well. Today several of the members of BFTS have established their own production companies. The family of William "Bill" Bennett are saddened that he passed on July 5, 2022, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 76 years old. He was loved and will forever be remembered.

Bill is survived by his four children William Todd, Jillian, William Christopher, and Charles. His grandchildren: Harley, Beatrice, Selah, and Grayson. His siblings Carole, Gary, Wanda and Alicia and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.

Graveside Service at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 27, 2022, at Spring Grove Cemetery.