Bennie Brooks Wilkinson, age 79, of Springfield, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at his home. Funeral services will be conducted at 1pm Tuesday in the Austin & Bell Funeral Home Chapel in Springfield with Bro. Richard Garza officiating. Burial will follow in Owens Chapel Cemetery with Jamie Sanganez, Joe Wilkinson, Richard Davis, Jason Putnam, Danny Johnson and Michael Szalapski serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Ron Deberry, Clyde Richert, David Norton Jr., and all the people Bennie has worked for throughout the years.
The family will receive friends from 4-8pm Monday, January 16, 2023 and again from 11am until time of the service at 1pm Tuesday at the funeral home.
Mr. Wilkinson was born September 26, 1943 in Abbeville, MS to the late Howard and Lois Winters Wilkinson. Bennie was a General Contractor and worked in construction all his life. He was known as the one who basically painted the town of Springfield over the years.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Wilkinson was preceded in death by a son, Tony (ToJo) Brooks Wilkinson; brothers, Tony Wilkinson, Billy Dean Wilkinson and Harold Kermit Wilkinson; and sisters, Marilyn Maynard and Carolyn Lambert.
Bennie is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mildred Wilkinson; daughter, Chrystal (David) Norton; 2 grandchildren, Nikki Jernigan and Ben Szalapski; 4 great grandchildren, Maddi Jo Jernigan, Haley Renee Jernigan, David James Szalapski and Asher Brooks Szalapski; and a brother, Joe Wilkinson.
Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield is in charge of these arrangements.
