Rev. Bennie Hollingsworth

Reverend Bennie Hollingsworth, age 85, entered eternal rest on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Alexandria at Rapides Regional Medical Center.

The Visitation will be held at Gallagher Funeral Home on March 19, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and again on Friday at Hosanna Baptist Church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of service. Services will be held on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Hosanna Baptist Church at 10:00 a.m. with Reverends Michael Wilkinson, Kevin Paul, and Ron Slay officiating. Interment will follow at Union Cemetery in Tullos under the direction of Gallagher Funeral Home.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary Jane Nugent Hollingsworth and his daughters: Melody O'Banion (William) and their children, Alyssa Hulsey (John), Samantha O'Banion, Reilly O'Banion (Misty), and Hannah O'Banion; Belinda Hollingsworth and her children, Benjamin Marchand (Jesci), Miranda Bennett (Mitchell) and their children Henry and Sybil, and Alana Marchand; Gerilyn Walker (Micah) and their children, Emma Walker, Noah Walker, Madilyn Walker, and Allie Walker; daughter-in-law Penny Paul (Kevin) and their son Caleb Paul. He is also survived by his brother Charles Hollingsworth (Carolyn), sisters-in-law Margaret Hollingsworth, Faye Hollingsworth, Pat Hollingsworth, and brother-in-law Harvey Earl Mitchell.

He is preceded in death by his sons Marcus Hollingsworth, Jeffrey Hollingsworth, and Timothy Hollingsworth; parents Lee and Erie Hollingsworth and stepmother Ruth Brown Hollingsworth; siblings Kenneth "Bud" Hollingsworth, Jim Hollingsworth, Al Hollingsworth, and Doris Mitchell.

He taught in the Rapides Parish School System and at England Air Force Base before becoming pastor of Hosanna Baptist Church in Ball, where he served for nearly 50 years. During his pastorate, he started and was administrator of Hosanna Baptist School. He loved teaching children and sharing the Gospel, and worked for many years with Child Evangelism Fellowship. He had a passion for Scripture memory and had stored up entire books of the Bible in his heart and mind. He spent his life encouraging everyone he knew to hide God's Word in their heart.

Pallbearers will be Benjamin Marchand, Reilly O'Banion, Noah Walker, Jeff Covington, John Hulsey, and Mitchell Bennett, with honorary pallbearers Benjamin Shields, Jacob Parker, Chase Gunter, Lincoln Powell, Dustin Morace and Caleb Paul.

Service officiants will be his "sons in the faith" Kevin Paul, Ron Slay, and Michael Wilkinson. (I Timothy 1:2)

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hosanna Baptist Church, P.O. Box 366, Ball, LA, 71405, or Scripture Memory Fellowship, P.O. Box 550232, Dallas, TX, 75355.