Benny Joe Duett

Funeral services for Benny Joe Duett will be held Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 11:00 AM at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home with Rev. Steve Campbell officiating. Burial to follow at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Newton, MS at 1:00 PM. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Benny Joe Duett was born August 28, 1948, in Philadelphia, MS, the son of Edgar and Irene Evans Duett. Raised by a single mother, Benny was the youngest of five children. He inherited the family's wit and sarcasm, which was often on display as the five siblings would gather at their mother's kitchen table to tease and harass one another or have spirted arguments over politics, football, or who was their mother's favorite child (Benny) well into their adulthood. The siblings would retell the stories of their youth, passing down the oral history of our family to their children who would sneak into the room to listen. One such story involved a three-year-old Benny being held over an open well by his brother, with threats of dropping him if he did not repeat certain obscenities of his brother's choosing.

Benny entered the United States Marine Corp in 1967, and served at the rank of corporal, as a field artillery battery man in Vietnam where he was the recipient of the Purple Heart after being injured by a mortar attack. Upon returning from service, Benny worked for the United States Postal Service and retired as Postmaster of the Collinsville Post Office. In his later years, Benny volunteered in the Military Order of the Purple Heart as the former Mississippi Commander and was the former Commandant, Treasurer and Chaplin in the Marine Corp League.

Benny would enjoy hunting, scuba diving, being the family's photographer and supporting his children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren during graduations for kindergarten through college, sporting events and extracurricular activities. He was an ardent supporter of Ole Miss, especially when his granddaughter Bailey was a cheerleader and would often plan family vacations to Disney World.

Benny is survived by his wife, Vanessa Chisholm Duett, his son Benny J Duett Jr., his daughters Jennifer Duett Branstetter, Taletha (Scott) Swearingen and Tammara Kennedy (fiancé Brett Rigby); his sister Nancy Duett; grandchildren Evan Grace, Brady and Tatum Branstetter, Loren (Jordan) Robinson, Brandon (Emilee) Kennedy, Karli Swearingen, Bailey (Cade) Gibson, Kristen Kennedy, Walker Swearingen and Eli Swearingen; great grandchildren Easton, Piper, Jake, Magnolia Mae, Ruby and Rosalee; and several nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his siblings Frank Duett, Tommy Duett and Margaret Gressett.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Fisher House, American Cancer Society, Marine Corp League or Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Visitation will be held Thursday, March 16, 2023, from 9:00 AM to 10:45 AM at the funeral home prior to service.