James H. Benbow

Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. James Henry “Sleepy” Benbow, 73, husband of Johnnie Mae Cooper Benbow, died May 25, 2007, at Tuomey Regional Medical Center, Sumter.

Born Sept. 11, 1933, in Summerton, he was a son of Felix Benbow and Viola Nelson Benbow. He received his formal education in the public schools of Clarendon County, graduating from Manning Training School. In his youth, he attended Reeseville AME in Alcolu. He served five years in the U.S. Army and re-enlisted in the Air Force and served 22 years until he retired.

Survivors include his wife, Johnnie Mae Benbow of the home; one son, James Russell (Pamela) Benbow of Columbia; four daughters, Antoninette McDuffie of the home, Cynthia (Johnathan) Burgess of Manning, Sharon (Timothy) Cauley of Ellenwood, Ga., and Yolanda (Timothy) Canty of Portsmouth, Va.; two brothers, General Lee (Thelma) Benbow of Manning and Ulysees Benbow of Brooklyn, N.Y.; four sisters, Catherine (Roosevelt) Owens of East Orange, N.J., Lunena (Clayton) Sutton, Shirley (Nathaniel) Bligen, both of Bronx, N.Y., and Annie (Ben) Stafford of Corning, N.Y.; 15 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one son, two sisters and two brothers.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, at Hayes Sr. and LaNelle J. Samuels Memorial Chapel in Manning, with the Rev. J.S. Hudley, pastor of Green Hill Missionary Baptist Church, officiating, assisted by Ministers David Woods and Sylvia Whittaker.

Burial was in the Green Hill Missionary Baptist Church cemetery.

Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning was in charge of arrangements.