Bennie Edith Brown-Byard

Bennie Edith Brown-Byard went home to be with the Lord on September 30, 2021. She was born on August 30, 1941 to parents, Benjamin Freeman Brown Sr. and Edith Olivia Napoleon Brown.  Bennie attended Douglas Anderson Junior/Senior High School and graduated from Douglas Anderson High School.  She worked for the City of Jacksonville for over 25 years and she retired and was highly recognized for all her years of service with the City of Jacksonville.  Shortly after retirement, she worked for Patrick Hines for over 30 years and it was a pleasure for her, to her, and to us to watch our mom be accepted and treated like “royalty”, and I publicly say “THANK YOU” to the Hines Family!!!! She was a devout member of Mount Zion A.M.E. Church Southside location for all her life. She was a member of The Mount Zion Trustee Board and the Ethel Merritt Missionary Society until she was no longer able to come to church due to illness.  She enjoyed her family, and friends very much.  She loved spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren because she would sit and reminisce with them about what their parents did when they were their age. Her siblings would meet for breakfast on Monday’s and this was a fun time for her as well because she would sit and talk about old times and catch up on whatever they needed to discuss with little to no interruptions from the children, the grands or the great grands…LOL!!!  She enjoyed and was a true lover of all sports, except hockey and car racing.  She absolutely loved basketball, football, golf, and tennis.  Our Mom was truly a person that didn’t let anything get the best of her nor did she believe in giving up, just wasn’t an option.  SHE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT TO THE END, and needless to say, “SHE WON”!!!  She is and was the best Mom that her children could ever have, and she made it her business to make sure that you knew who she was, who we were, and where she stood about us always...WHAT AN AMAZING WOMAN SHE IS, AND SHE WAS TO ANYONE THAT CAME IN CONTACT WITH HER!!  SHE’S A DIAMOND IN THE RUFF NOW AND FOREVER.

Bennie was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin and Edith Brown; son, Grover Byard IV; brothers, P.F.C. Benjamin F. Brown Jr., Hugh D. Robinson, and Michael K. Brown; sisters, Adrian V. Brown-Hargrove, Pamela P. Brown-Lewis, and Frances L. Brown-Chisolm; nieces, Kathryn R. Brown, and Danielle Chisolm; nephews, Keith Chisolm and Richard Chisolm; grandmothers, Daisy Brown and Leslie Badger; brother-in-law, Fred Chisolm; sisters-in-law: Eartha Napoleon and Sharon Brown. 

Bennie leaves to cherish her memories, her daughters, Chaqueta R. Smith, Carla J. Thomas, and Corrie Y. Byard, and Rose Richardson; son, Jay S. Byard; grandchildren, Reginald Thomas Jr., Stephen M. Ellis, Syreeta Chambers, Grover Byard V, Jasmine Byard, Jay S. Byard Jr., Marcus Byard,  Jasmine Byard, Benjamin W. Groover Jr., Sydney Kelly, and Tammy McClendon; 24 great grandchildren, brothers, Beryl Napoleon, and Ira C. Brown; sisters: Maxine M. Brown, Thelma N. Brown, Deborah C. Neal (Alfonzo), and Patricia B. Martin (Oliver); and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends, and longtime friend, Richard E. Polke.

Sarah L. Carter's Funeral Home Southside is serving the Family.

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