Tom passed away July 19, 2011 at the age of 73.   He had been suffering with lung cancer that  had spread throughout his body and brain.  He was a great Wachovian and friend to many.    Condolences to Carolyn can be sent to their address :  3905 Southampton Ct., Greenville NC  27835      (email:  tabcwb@yahoo.com)

NAPLES, Fla. - Mr. Thomas Allen Bennett Sr., 74, of Naples, Fla. and Greenville/Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., died Tuesday, July 19, 2011 after a courageous battle with lung cancer.
A memorial service will be conducted Tuesday, August 2 at 11 a.m. in the Wilkerson Funeral Chapel.
Born in Beaufort County on March 23, 1937 to Hyacinth W. and the Rev. Wilbur I. Bennett Sr., he grew up in Farmville and Washington, N.C., graduating from Washington High School in 1955. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from East Carolina College in 1959, and was also a graduate of the Executive Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation from East Carolina, Tom was a teacher and assistant football coach at Havelock High School from 1959 to 1962.
Tom left teaching to join Wachovia Bank where over the next 30 years he would start as a field representative and rise to Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. His career with the bank included service as City Executive (Morehead City), Regional Executive (Greenville and Raleigh), Executive Vice President in charge of North Carolina banking, and Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer (Winston-Salem). He served as president of the North Carolina Banker's Association in 1991, and he retired from banking in 1992. Tom was respected by both peers and competitors in the banking industry, and one always knew where he stood on any issue.
Throughout Tom's career and into retirement, he served his communities and his alma mater by volunteering in numerous organizations. Included were the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce (three terms as president); Neuse Development Association; Morehead City Rotary; Morehead City Jaycees (winner of the Distinguished Service Award in 1968); and Carteret Economic Development Council (founding president). He served on the advisory boards of the Sea Level Hospital and the Maritime Museum of Beaufort, as well as on the boards of the following: Taylor Foundation of Norfolk, Va., Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Brenner Children's Hospital, the YMCA of Winston-Salem, Peace College, N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry, N.C. Agribusiness Council, N.C. Community Foundation, and N.C. Rural Economic Development Center.
Tom loved East Carolina University and devoted much time and resources in promoting excellence in both academic and athletic programs. He was a member of the Chancellor's Society and the Sabre Society, and served from 1981 to 1989 on the Board of Trustees, including service as Chair of the Athletics Committee and Chair of the Board. He also served on the Board of Visitors, and the boards of the ECU Foundation, Inc., the ECU Medical Foundation (chair 1997-2000), and the ECU Educational Foundation, the latter of which he enjoyed 15 years on the Endowment Investment Committee. Tom was an avid Pirate fan, and for many years could be heard cheering on the football and basketball teams, especially, and his presence in the stands will be sorely missed.
Tom was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from the state of North Carolina and the 1998 Distinguished Service Award from the ECU Alumni Association.
He enjoyed a dual membership in the First Baptist Church of Naples and the Bogue Banks Baptist Church in Atlantic Beach. At Bogue Banks he was on the finance and personnel committees, and was an enthusiastic team player at Vacation Bible School.
Tom's great passions were his love for the Lord Jesus Christ, his family, his profession, his beloved East Carolina University and his love for all people. A respected banker, devoted husband, father and grandfather, he was also a loyal friend and mentor to so many and was loved by all who had the privilege to know him.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Clara Bennett; and brothers, James I. Bennett and Wilbur I. Bennett.
He is survived by his devoted wife of over 49 years, Carolyn Williams Bennett; a son, Thomas Allen Bennett Jr. and wife Meg, of Concord, N.C.; a daughter, Carolyn Anne Bennett Durham and husband Bryan, of Wilmington, N.C.; four grandchildren, Thomas and Martha Bennett, and Noah and Lane Durham; sisters-in-law Loretta Handley of Tamarac, Fla. and Jane Bennett of Greenville; and several nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends Monday, August 1 from 6 -8 p.m. at Wilkerson Funeral Home.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Robert Dietrich, Dr. Thomas Lee and staff of Physicians East for their exceptional care and compassion, as well as his caregiver, Chris English.
Memorial contributions may be made to the East Carolina University Medical Foundation, 525 Moye Blvd., Greenville, NC 27858 or to the East Carolina University Educational Foundation, 901 East 5th Street, Greenville, NC 27858.
Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com.