Mrs. Barbara Jean Bennett

Barbara Jean Odom was born in San Diego, California on December 27,1961 to Eugene Odom, Jr. and Lois Jean Williams, who together with Milton H. Williams, nurtured and raised Barbara. Barbara was not only the eldest sibling, but she was also the first grandbaby in the family and she relished her rank as the oldest! She graduated a Harry Ells Falcon in 1980 and earned her Associate’s degree in 1983 from Contra Costa Community College. Barbara soon began her career as a bus driver working for the Richmond Unified School district and then Vallejo Transit until she relocated to Georgia, where she continued her long career as a bus driver working for Gwinnett County transit, TransDev, having over 30 years of collective public transportation service. She would always say, “you have to have thick skin to deal with these people on the bus”! Barbara gave her life to Christ at an early age, singing in the choir both at Calvary and Bayview Baptist Church. She knew the Lord and was confident in where she would be spending eternity. Barbara LOVED children! She is known as the Favorite Aunt to all of her nieces and nephews. She had an immense passion for helping children and in 1999, she became the proud mother of Jonathan Crawford, Jeremy Smith and Raul Guerra, whom she raised with a firm hand and unconditional love. Although Barbara was a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is kind of gal, she was beyond proud of her boy’s accomplishments in their careers. These young men also went on to marry and bless Barbara with daughters and four grandchildren. But her love reached beyond her family. Barbara would bless pregnant passengers on her bus with baby shower gifts. She didn’t always know their names, but she would ask them if they knew what they were having, and the next time she saw them on her bus, she would bless them with gifts for their baby. Barbara was the shyest person you’d ever meet! She would get so emotional if she had to stand in front of a crowd, that she would just start crying! But don’t cross her! She had a sharp tongue and quick wit and would get you told so fast you wouldn’t know what hit you! Soon after re-locating to Georgia, Barbara met and married the love of her life, David Bennett, who affectionately called her “his black bear”. Barbara and David were indeed a match made in heaven! If you were talking to one of them on the phone, you may as well know you are talking to both of them, because each would chime in on each other’s conversations. Whenever they were apart, they would call each other non-stop until they were together again. On any given day, they would fuss each other out like crazy, but by nighttime, they were back to being the best of friends. David would always tell her, “that’s how I know you love me when you fussing at me”. Barbara leaves to cherish her legacy her husband David, her sons Jonathan, Jeremy and Raul, daughters-in-love Shawonna Smith, Keisha Carter (Nicole), Grandchildren Shamiah and Jeremiah Smith, Jonathan (Tonka) Crawford, Elijah Guerra, Jaliyah, Kaniya, Malaya, her loving mother, Lois Jean Williams, sisters Cheryl Odom, Toni Jones, Yvette Williams, Mona Hackett, brother Lonnie Wright, brothers-in-law Mark Bennett, Timothy Bennett, James Bennett and Gerald Tucker. Sisters-in-law Sherry Bennett and Angela Bennett, and a host of Uncles, Aunts, Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and friends. Barbara is pre-ceeded in rest by her loving fathers Eugene Odom, Jr, and Milton Howard Williams. Celebration of Life Services for Barbara Jean Bennett will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 11:00 AM. These services will be recorded and streamed live. If the event is interrupted at any time due to technical issues, the entire event will be uploaded and available to view later in the day. Please copy and paste the link to share, or simply click on the link to view the event. https://vimeo.com/event/3332251

Tributes

Mrs. Barbara Jean Bennett

December 27, 1961 - April 18, 2023