Benny Howard Joyner of Jacksonville, Florida suddenly passed away at his home on May 5, 2025.
He had attended Westside Church of God of Prophecy since the early sixties. As a result of his dedication, he was always quick to lend a hand to anyone who needed help or just build the booths for the church carnivals, which he always enjoyed.
Benny was born in Baxley, Georgia on March 29, 1940, and was the youngest of six children.
He worked a variety of jobs during his lifetime. Starting at the age of twelve when he started delivering newspapers on his bicycle. This was a life changer for him, because he spied the girl he knew he’d marry. So, on January 21, 1956, he made Frances Hilda Joyner his wife. She was sixteen and he was fifteen. They started their family a year and a half later with twins.
He took jobs working in cement, delivering milk, working in the shop at the Ford dealership, rebuilding transmissions in his brother’s shop, to working at Foremost Dairy. If someone asked if he knew how to do this or that he would always answer yes and just learned quickly. He did whatever it took for the betterment of his family. It’s fair to say that he was well versed in many trades and knowledgeable in so many things, making him very wise.
In July 1967 he opened his own shop, Dixie Automotive Machine shop on Jacksonville’s northside, a full-service machine shop. As time went on, he wanted to open a parts warehouse, and in 1980 opened up Best Engine Parts, a supplier of engine parts to machine shops and parts stores. After working most of his life, he retired in September 2024.
Benny was a skilled individual doing everything. Electrical, plumbing, irrigation, remodeling homes, even building his own his own chicken house on his property in Georgia, which housed thousands of chickens for egg sales.
Most of his pleasure came from hard work. However, in his younger years, he enjoyed being on the church softball team with fellow members. Then he decided he wanted to ski, so he bought a boat. Other boating church members would occasionally get together and follow each other from Jacksonville to Palatka. Some had homes on the water and would stay the night and boat out the next day. When not on the boat or playing softball, he truly enjoyed his time on the golf course.
Later in life he learned to play the organ and steel guitar. Occasionally, he would sing in church on Sunday mornings, which he loved.
Of all his adventures, his favorite past time was to be with his family and extended family and reminisce with the people he loved about times gone by, recalling precious memories.
Benny was heartbroken when his wife Hilda, after sixty-six years together, passed away on July 15, 2022. Now they are together forever, rejoining in Heaven.
Benny is preceded in death by his wife, Frances Hilda Joyner, his parents, Eunice and Thelma Joyner, His siblings, John Joyner, Walter Joyner, Myrtle Nelson, Joseph (Billy) Joyner and Mary Pierce.
He is survived by his three children Lynn Joyner of Waycross, Georgia, Benny H. Joyner. Jr. and Veletia D. DuPree of Jacksonville. He had eight grandchildren, nineteen great-grandchildren, and eight great-great-grandchildren, as well as many nieces and nephews.
There will be a graveside service at Riverside Memorial Park, located at 7242 Normandy Boulevard on May 13th, 2025, at 11:00 AM. Reverend Dale Hile will be officiating.
There will be a lunch in the Fellowship Hall at Westside Church of God of Prophecy, at 1862 Fouraker Road 32221.