Funeral Service will be 10:00 AM Saturday, April 19, 2025 at the Willie L. Shaw Jr Memorial Chapel.  Burial will follow in the John's Chapel Cemetery.

Darnell O'Neil Bennett was born on April 1957, in Castle Hayne, North Carolina.  After a prolonged battle with Sickle Cell Anemia.  Darnell passed away on April 11, 2025, at the age of 68.  Darnell leaves behind cherished memories with his two daughters, Atlyssa and Tanesha, both residing in Atlanta, Georgia as well as four sons:  Antwan Johnson, Amirah, Gabriel, from Atlanta, and Darnell Jr., from Norfolk, Virginia.  He is survived by five brothers: Eddie (Carolyn) from Cape Coral, Florida; Kelvin and Eric from Wilmington, North Carolina; Vincent from Leland, North Carolina; and Thaddeus from Durham, North Carolina.  Darnell also leaves a sister, Vera Allen (Kelvin) from Durham, North Carolina, and his mother, Dennie Foy Simpson.  He was preceded in death by his legal father, Alfred Bennett, and is survived by his biological father Charles Simpson.  Darnell will be deeply missed but fondly remembered for his prodigious approach to life.