The Southern Arizona business community has lost an iconic business and philanthropic figure with the passing July 28 of Bill Bennett, founder and patriarch of Bill’s Home Service. Mr. Bennett was 88. Services are 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at St. Philip’s In the Hills Episcopal Church, 4440 N. Campbell Ave. in Tucson and are open to the public. The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the St. Luke’s Home Chapel Fund.

Mr. Bennett played a prominent role in the Green Valley/Tubac area, not only as a businessman until his retirement 22 years ago, but also as a kind and generous soul known for his philanthropy.

Mr. Bennett founded Bill’s Home Service as a general home services company in 1964 serving the Green Valley-Tubac area after struggling as a farmer in Amado. At the time, he performed landscaping, pool cleaning, garbage removal, soft water system installation, swamp cooler repair, and pest control services. Mr. Bennett gradually built the business behind his unique ability to build relationships with people and his reputation for providing quality service at a fair price.

Today, Bill’s Home Service is owned by Mr. Bennett’s son, Will, and two of his grandsons, Ryan and Bill, manage the day-to-day operations. Throughout the past 55 years, the company has narrowed their service offerings to become one of the largest locally owned and operated termite and pest control companies serving Southern Arizona.

“It’s been a hard week around here as he was such an important part of our culture, even though he retired more than 20 years ago,” said Ryan Bennett, Mr. Bennett’s grandson and vice president of Bill’s Home Service Company and Bill’s Home Inspection Services. “He talked a lot about the company during his final few days and always came back to how he was so proud of and thankful for all of the employees that have carried on the company from its very humble beginnings.

“My grandfather said to be successful, always do the right thing and simply take care of people. If you can do those two things, it makes everything else pretty easy.”

Mr. Bennett was known for building great relationships with those he encountered in civic and philanthropic settings. That culture, ingrained by him, began with his staff and customers as a key component in building a business that has lasted more than a half century.

Among Mr. Bennett’s favorite pursuits was serving on the board of directors of St. Luke’s Home, a residential shelter for senior adults with limited financial means. He was on the board of directors for the Theater Arts Department at the University of Arizona and was active with Rotary International’s Reading Seed program in elementary schools.

Today, the business has more than 8,000 customers from Saddlebrooke north of Tucson to Nogales and Sonoita, providing termite and pest control services as well as home inspection and home watch services.