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Robert (Bobby) Kye Bennie Jr. was born on March 7, 1940 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the union of the late Robert Kye and Mable Bennie. After a long illness he peacefully departed this life on July 2, 2021.
Robert attended Robert A. Taft High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He matriculated from Wilberforce University and graduated with a degree in Education. He received a Master’s of Education Degree and completed post graduate coursework at Kent State University.
While at Wilberforce University, he pledged Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated (Delta Chapter) and he crossed in 1961. He remained close to his “sands”, Dr. Allen Tucker and Dean of Pledges, Everett Pope. He was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation Million Dollar Club.
Robert was employed by the United States Postal Service and continued working there while being an educator, counselor and vice principal in the Cleveland Public Schools. He enjoyed working both jobs and stated that after a long day of teaching, he enjoyed playing cards with his co-workers at the Post Office. As we all know, Robert was a strong proponent of education and retired from Cleveland Public Schools in 2001.
Robert was well traveled. He went on numerous cruises and traveled to places both domestic and abroad. He took Robin and Bobby to Malaga, Spain and his grandchildren, Kalif, D.J., Isaiah, and Rheigna, on a cruise to Guatemala.
He collected luxury cars and loved to race his mustang and black Porsche at Burke Lakefront Airport. Additionally, he loved riding his custom-made bike all over the world.
Robert was a photographer and loved taking pictures of his family. He had thousands of print photos as well as slides. He collected art from African American artists that included themes from the civil war, Egyptian art, contemporary art and jazz paintings.
In the 1970’s he built his dream home, in Oakwood Village. He took pride in home improvement projects in addition to maintaining his well-manicured lawn.
Robert loved to entertain many family gatherings and was the “life of the party”. Each of his sisters would rush to claim their bedroom, in his house, when they came to visit from Cincinnati.
He was preceded in death by his son Kye Leondis Bennie; his brother’s Levi Bennie, Bennie John Smith, Joseph Bullocks and his sister’s Jacqueline Ivery, Catherine Carmichael, and Gladys Hillard.
He leaves to cherish his memory his daughter Robin Lynne Bennie-Gullatte (Dwayne) and his son Robert Kye Bennie, III. (Deon); five grandchildren Amiel Carter, Kalif Aughburns, Dwayne Gullatte Jr., Isaiah Bennie, and Rheigna Gullatte; a great grandson Azrael Aughburns; three sisters Carolyn Mann, Peggy Fisher and Linda Webber; brother-in-law Joe Carmichael, all of Cincinnati, Ohio; four brothers Phillip Bennie (Barbara) of Santa Maria, California, Sylvester Bullocks (Hollie), Bernard Bullocks (Zoepta) and Fred Bullocks (Pauline) of Cincinnati, Ohio; a special nephew Theodore McConnell of Cincinnati, Ohio and a host of nieces, nephews and cherished friends.
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