JOSEPH OLIVER BENNETT WAS BORN JUNE 4, 1949, IN BROOKLYN, NY. HE WAS THE ONLY CHILD TO THE LOVING CARE OF THE LATE PAUL BENNETT AND RUTH McCALLA. JOSEPH DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016 SURROUNDED BY LOVED ONES. JOSEPH ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING. HE WOULD TAKE THE MOST MENIAL TASK AND MAKE IT APPEAR WORTHY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. AT THE AGE OF TWELVE HIS FIRST JOB WAS THAT OF A CADDY AND IN HIGH SCHOOL HE WORKED PART TIME AS A MESSENGER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOUTH CORP DURING THE SUMMER. HE GRADUATED FROM ERASMUS HALL HIGH SCHOOL, BROOKLYN, NY IN 1967. HE WAS ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ON DECEMBER 5, 1967. HE CHOSE TO SEE THE WORLD BY VOLUNTEERING FOR FOREIGN SERVICE WHICH TOOK HIM TO OKINAWA, JAPAN. HE FINISHED HIS TOUR OF DUTY WITH EIGHTEEN MONTHS IN THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH VIET NAM. JOSEPH'S TRAINING IN THE MILITARY WAS THAT OF A SECURITY FORCES AND SENTRY DOG HANDLER. THE EXPOSURE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS TO HAVE A LASTING EFFECT ON HIS FUTURE EMPLOYMENT. AFTER BEING HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN JUNE 1971 HE WAS THEN EMPLOYED AS A TRAFFIC CONTROL AGENT FOR FIVE YEARS BY THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRAFFIC. IN 1977 JOSEPH MOVED FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK TO CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY WHERE HE RAISED HIS THREE DAUGHTERS: KHIA BENNETT, THE LATE KARLA BENNETT AND STEP DAUGHTER MONICA PENICK -WYNN. IN FEBRUARY 1989 JOSEPH ENLISTED IN THE NEW JERSEY AIR NATIONAL GUARD AS A SECURITY POLICEMAN. HE SERVED FOR 17 YEARS, RETIRING AT THE RANK OF MASTER SERGEANT, WITH A COMBINED TWENTY AND A HALF YEARS OF SERVICE. IN JUNE 1984 JOSEPH FOUND THE JOB HE HAD BEEN WAITING FOR! THE CAMDEN COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. HE ROSE TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT AND HIS LAST ASSIGNMENT WAS TO THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS UNIT. JOSEPH RETIRED IN 2007.ON FEBRUARY 7, 2002 JOSEPH BENNETT FOUND HIS SOUL MATE, BONNIE LINDA PARKER. THEY FOUND LOVE TOGETHER WHILE SERVING AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TOGETHER! IF YOU ASKED ANY OF THEIR CONTEMPORARIES THEY WOULD SAY THEY WERE BOTH VERY PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES. JOE LIVED UP TO HIS VOWELS AND TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF BONNIE. EVEN WHEN "FOR BETTER OR WORSE" CAME TO THEIR DOOR STEP, BONNIE SPENT 24 HOURS A DAY TAKING CARE OF HER HUSBAND FOR NINE YEARS OF THEIR 14 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. JOSEPH ENJOYED THE SIMPLER THINGS IN LIFE. FISHING AND BOWLING WERE ALWAYS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST. WHENEVER GREETED, HE HAD ADOPTED HIS UNCLE EARL WILSON'S FAVORITE RESPONSE... "NEVER BETTER!" JOSEPH LEAVES TO CHERISH HIS MEMORY HIS LOVING WIFE, BONNIE PARKER-BENNETT, HIS DAUGHTER KHIA BENNETT, STEP DAUGHTER MONICA PENICK-WYNN, TWO STEP SONS, ROBERT (WIFE SAWAKO) GOODMAN, AND TREY GOODMAN, STEP MOTHER CONSTANCE BENNETT, HIS BROTHER JEAN PAUL BENNETT. MOTHER-N-LAW MAXINE MARTIN, FATHER-N-LAW ALVIN MARTIN, BROTHER-N-LAW ALVIN PARKER, JR. ( WIFE ANNETTE). HE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS DAUGHTER KARLA BENNETT, HIS SISTER RUBY HUDSON, BROTHER-N-LAW ALLEN MARTIN. JOSEPH ALSO LEAVES NUMEROUS NIECES, NEPHEWS AND FRIENDS. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a viewing on Saturday between 10 and 12 Noon followed by a service at 12 noon at the Danks-Hinski Funeral Home, 125 N. White Horse Pike at South Ave., Lindenwold. Interment at the convenience of the family. Condolences may be offered at dankshinskifuneralhome.com.