Obituary: Capt. James William Bennett

Capt. James William Bennett, a native of Ashland City, Tenn., died July 23 at the age of 88.

Bennett was a former manager, tankerman and pilot for Wooten River Service in Jeffersonville, Ind. He started out on the river in 1953 at the age of 17, working out of the union hall in Louisville, Ky., and serving on line boats for several companies. He began working for Wooten River Service, then Standard Oil, in 1964 and became general manager in 1972.

Bennett was a huge part of Wooten River Service’s overall operations over the course of several decades. The team at Wooten River Service remembered him as “a treasured friend, colleague and mentor to many towboaters over the years.”

“Although he retired decades ago, Capt. Bennett still loved telling stories about the river and loved keeping up with current happenings by always reading The Waterways Journal,” the Wooten River Service team said.

Bennett’s legacy at Wooten River Service endures. Besides having a fuel flat named after him, all three of Bennett’s grandsons are captains at Wooten River Service.

Bennett was preceded in death by his wife, Carmen E. Bennett, his parents and two sisters. He is survived by his daughters, Carmen Louise Cruse (Stiles) and Tina Aileen Brown (Larry Sr.); a sister, Sally Ferguson; his grandchildren, David Cruse (Amanda), James Cruse (Julie), Christina Brown, Cindy Brown and Larry Brown Jr. (Stevie); and seven great grandchildren.

A funeral service was held July 29 in Jeffersonville.