Roosevelt "Bully" "Bernie" Benard was born on July 22, 1956 in Vicksburg, Mississippi to the late James Watkins and Georgie Mae Benard.

Roosevelt grew up in a large, loving family. His education in the Vicksburg public school system was cut short as he left school to take on odd jobs to help make sure his mother and siblings were cared for. He learned the value of hard work early on and that shaped his resilience and unwavering determination for the rest of his life. At 16, Roosevelt left Vicksburg to work in the concrete business with his brother Jessie in Texas.

At 20 years old, Roosevelt married Betty Wilson. From this union, two children were born: Brandi "Big Baby" and Rosalyn "Shay". They settled in Plano, Texas. Roosevelt was a devoted father and was proud of his family.

Roosevelt believed in the Lord. His love and closeness with God grew as his faith grew. He was a Deacon at the Church of the Living God in Plano for many years. He provided support that was always genuine and unwavering.

Unlike many people, Roosevelt had not one, but two nicknames. To his family, and close friends, he was fondly known as "Bully". To his coworkers from the City of Plano where he worked for several years, he was known as "Bernie". Regardless of which nickname you used he responded with open arms. He had a heart of gold and would help anyone. Roosevelt was hard working, easy going, quiet and very observant. If he had something to say, he said it. He disliked conflict. He was always busy. One family member described him as never being able to sit still because he always had some kind of project underway. Roosevelt held many titles in his life, but his favorite role was being a father. Those close to him knew his "signature style" for hats and caps. Depending on his mood, he had a hat/cap for any and all occasions.

Roosevelt worked for the City of Plano in the Public Works Department for 27 years. He retired twice. He was also employed by the Jerusalem Corporation as a Cement Finisher. He took great pride in getting up every morning and going to his job. He was a hard worker and he enjoyed taking on new challenges. Over the years, he fined tuned his skills working with many types of equipment as well as communicating effectively in Spanish with his coworkers. This gave him a huge advantage on larger job sites. He was employed with the City of Plano at the time of his death.

Roosevelt's life was rich with hobbies that spoke to his love for the great outdoors and for being a jack-of-all-trades. He found solace and peace whenever he was near water as it provided him with the perfect opportunity to indulge in his favorite activity – fishing!He loved gardening and sharing his crops. When he wasn't fishing, he was fixing problems and being his own mechanic, repairing cars, trucks and installing motors. Additionally, Roosevelt loved spending time with his family, serving up his bar-b-q and playing dominos. Listening to the Blues was by far a close second to fishing!

Roosevelt is preceded in death by his loving daughter, Brandi Benard; mother and father, James Watkins and Georgie Mae Benard; five beloved sisters, Bessie Mae Whitaker, Nancy Austin, Lillie Bell Wardley, Georgie Ann Hall and Lenora Pendleton; and three brothers, Kelvin Benard, Redale Benard and Alonzo Austin.

Roosevelt is survived by his loving wife, Linda; daughter, Rosalyn "Shay" Benard of Plano, TX; grandchildren, Mariah Benard, Terrence Benard, Dajae Benard, Blake Black; one step-son, Vincent Freeman Giles of Plano, TX; one God son, Aaron Roberts of Dallas, TX; six step-grandchildren and two step-great grandchildren; seven brothers, Jessie (Shelia), George, Carl, Andrew and Mose Benard all of Vicksburg, MS; Aaron (Brenda) Benard of Yorksville, IL and Joseph (Belita) Benard of San Antonio, TX; three sisters, Leaverne Brent and Rebecca (Tommy) Tribble, all from Vicksburg, MS, and Eliza (Martin) Bentivengo of North Aurora, IL; two aunts, Katherine Austin and Bertha Benard of Vicksburg, MS and a host of other relatives and friends.

Roosevelt passed away unexpectedly on Monday, August 12, 2024 in Richardson, Texas. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him.