Celia Benton
Celia Hunt Benton passed away on May 31, 2019, in Cape Coral, Florida.
She was born on February 12, 1932 in LaFayette, Georgia and enjoyed spending most of her life in the LaFayette community that she loved. Celia grew up on Main Street in the heart of LaFayette with her parents, Cecil and Mary Hunt who owned and operated Hunt Freight Line. She went to school in LaFayette graduating from LaFayette High School, where she would later return to teach.
After graduating from Tift College and returning to LaFayette, she began working at the Bank of LaFayette, where she met her true love, Clarence “Bo” Benton. Bo kept coming to the bank because he somehow found that he had “dollar bills that were torn”. He always went to Celia’s window because she was the only one who could repair them properly. They married in June of 1958 and shortly afterwards bought a farm on the North side of LaFayette and built their family home where they resided until Bo passed away in 2016. Celia was an avid gardener and enjoyed keeping the flower beds around their home full of beautiful flowers. Her favorite were the gorgeous rose bushes that lined the fence to the pasture. This is where they raised their two children, Charles Hunt Benton and Mary “Beth” Benton Vuncannon, and later their Grandson, Tucker Hunt Benton, enjoyed his many visits there with his Grandma and Papa. Celia and Bo spent many winters in Southwest Florida. They loved visiting there with family and friends on Marco Island.
Celia had moved back to the area where they had enjoyed vacationing to be close to her daughter.
Celia taught at LaFayette High School for many years teaching math and served as head of the Math Department. She also spent one year teaching home economics when a dear friend needed to be out and asked her to step in. She was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of LaFayette where she served in many roles. She taught Sunday school for many years, teaching a wide range of ages from children to teens to the “Cheerful Doers” Ladies class. She also served several years as Sunday School Director, and was on various committees including the committee that compiled the History of the First Baptist Church Volume II. She was a member of the LaFayette Women’s Club serving in various roles including President and many terms as Treasure.She was a charter member of the LaFayette chapter of Beta Sigma Phi sorority and was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society.
Celia is survived by her daughter Mary “Beth” Benton Vuncannon, son in law Don Vuncannon, grandson Tucker Hunt Benton, daughter in law Angela Benton, niece Barbara Helton and nephew Michael Brown and many extended family members and loving friends. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Clarence “Bo” Benton, her son Charles Hunt Benton, father Cecil Hunt, mother Mary Hunt, sisters Hazel Stevenson and Ruth Brown, and brother Cecil Hunt, Jr.
Visitation will be held on Friday, June 7, at Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. with services following at LaFayette First Baptist Church at 1 p.m.
Pallbearers are Shaw Abney, Willis Callaway, John Howard, Chris Jones, James McConnell, Shannon Sell, Randy Walker and Greg West. Honorary Pallbearers are Ann Abney, Tim and Grete Carder, Ted Clark, Michelle Coker, Sammie Dobson, Koy Patton, Margie and Guy Pope, William Sell, Mayra Wilhelm and The Cheerful Doer’s Sunday School Class
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Baptist Church of LaFayette, Georgia or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Arrangements are by Wallis-Wilbanks Funeral Home, LaFayette.