Fred Alton Benjamin III

Fred was born October 12, 1924, in St. Paul, a fourth-generation Minnesotan, the son of the late Madeleine (Mona) Hanley and Fred Alton Benjamin, Jr., both of St. Paul.

As a youth, Fred also lived for a time in Buena Vista, Iowa and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. His father died when Fred was 14 years old. Experiencing death at such a young age strengthened his lifelong dedication to Catholicism and his devotion to God, expressed in daily prayer, including the Holy Rosary.

Fred’s lifelong passion for collecting stamps began at a very young age. He saw his collection as his own art gallery, and would share his pride and joy with anyone who showed interest. His favorite area of stamp collecting was Vatican stamps. Later in life, Fred started a coin collection, again focusing on the beauty and art of each coin.

In high school he participated in hockey, football, basketball and track. Many of his teammates and coaches wrote in his yearbook about his leadership and skills on the rink, gridiron, court and track. “A galloping ghost on the gridiron, and a lady-killer, too,” wrote one buddy.

He was a friend to all animals. As a young boy he raised pigeons, and later in life he owned and trained Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Weimaraner field dogs and German Shepherd Dogs. Fred was a founding member of the Twin Cities Obedience Training Club.

Fred joined the Army Air Forces in World War II and served in the Philippines. He was involved in setting up a glider battalion base and trained as a glider pilot. While in the Philippines he befriended indigenous monkeys that lived in the wild but would come and sit on his lap to share Fred’s ration of peanuts. After the war, he worked at the the Veteran’s Hospital and Officer’s Club at Fort Snelling.

Fred married Phyllis Ann Laughlin on January 17, 1944. In the early 1950s, Fred and Phyllis moved with their three children to Phoenix, where they had two more children. He launched a distribution business in the booming town, and his word and work ethic were respected by all those he associated with. After moving back to Minnesota in 1968, he continued in civil service with the US Postal Service, retiring in 1984. After retirement, Fred and Phyllis made an RV their home for 15 years, and they traveled leisurely across the country many times. They were never in much of a rush to get anywhere, but by August every year, they returned to the Minnesota State Fair, where Fred worked as a chief groundskeeper in the Grandstand.

They laughed that they did not own a home with a foundation for 20-plus years, moving to a mobile home in Phoenix, where they lived happily until 2007, when Phyllis passed away. Fred then lived in Tennessee for several years, with his son Fred IV and wife Vicki on their farm, where he loved the horses, blue skies and fresh air. Fred moved back to Phoenix in 2010 and lived in assisted living for a short time, until he met his friend and special companion, Lillian Garrett, with whom he enjoyed a new lease on life.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Phyllis Ann Laughlin, daughter of the late Leopold Richard Laughlin and the late Edna Katherine Carroll. Fred was also preceded in death by his grandparents, Michael and Elizabeth (Walsh) Hanley, Fred Alton and Florence (Hare) Benjamin; and by a grandson, Brian J. Krogseng.

Fred leaves behind all five of his children: Cynthia (James) Musselman of Phoenix, Fred Alton IV (Vicki Piercey) of Humboldt, Tennessee; Timothy (Lynda Milne) of St. Paul, Minnesota; Leo Richard of Peoria, and Kelli (Tag) Krogseng of Goodyear; one brother, James J. Benjamin, of Englewood, Florida; and his friend Lillian Garrett, of Phoenix.

Fred’s family also includes 11 grandchildren: James J. (Maureen Rochford) Musselman of Austin, Texas; David (Deborah) Musselman of Peoria; Donald R. Musselman of Phoenix; Brian (Jennifer Castrone) Musselman of Albuquerque, Mexico; Timothy (Mollie Starr) Benjamin of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; Bubba Plunk of Nashville Tennesssee; Dillon Benjamin of Flagstaff; Amy Benjamin of Phoenix; Madison Benjamin of Peoria; William Krogseng of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Jessica Krogseng (James) Jacobs of Goodyear. Fred was proud of his 17 great-grandchildren: Bridget Musselman (Joseph) Liccardo; Kelsey Musselman; Bailey Musselman; Adrianna, Jacob, Colton, Erica, and Taryn Musselman; Jordan Goliat, Grace and Nicole Gray; Raeanna Blendu; Tavia Musselman; Breanna and Adam Benjamin; Nixen Gabbard; Maverick Jacobs; and one great-great granddaughter, Isabel Liccardo.

Visitation at Shadow Mountain Mortuary, Thursday, September 29, 2016, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Funeral Mass on Friday, September 30, 2016, 11:00 am at Casa de Paz y Bien, Scottsdale. Interment at National Memorial Cemetery, Phoenix.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in his name to Access Press, http://accesspress.org.