Benita Louise Darnell

Benita Louise Darnell, 78, one of four daughters of Bruce Anthony Girten and Mildred Lucia Essman, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Benita and her husband, Brian Scott Darnell, were married for 40 years. Together they made homes in Texas, California, Georgia, Ohio, and Illinois, eventually choosing to retire on Saint Simons Island.

Benita built a career in configuration management for engineering organizations. In her later years she traded technical work for creative hobbies, including oil painting, murals, and jewelry making. She also served as a family caregiver and volunteered with her local SPCA. Benita found joy in the simple things: watching local wildlife, baking her famous chocolate chip cookies, and FaceTiming with her great-grandchildren. She also loved beach walks and travel.

She is survived by her husband, Scott; her sister, Lu Ann Shoomliansky; her daughters, Cheryl Cargill and her husband, Martin, and Nicole Wedekind and her husband, Benjamin; her son, Duane Levis; her grandsons, Bradley Cargill, and Alex Cargill and his wife, Kayla; her great-grandsons, Milo and Myles Cargill; and her nieces, Natalia Shoomliansky Smith and Tatiana Shoomliansky-O'Donnal. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bruce and Mildred, and by her sisters Brucetta and Dolores Girten.

Visitation will be held Sunday, May 31, at Brunswick Memorial Park Funeral Home. The graveside service will begin at 10:00 am, Monday, June 1, 2026, in Oglethorpe Memorial Gardens on Saint Simons Island. Father Mark Van Alstine will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Benita's name to Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) or to SPCA International.