Kenneth Lee Benson

Born to Carlton and Vauda Benson in 1935 in Utah, Ken grew up in the welcoming communities of Bellflower and Long Beach, CA. He attended Long Beach City College before joining the U.S. Army Signal Corps, working with electronics during postings in Germany and France.

Following his military service, Ken earned a Bachelor of Science in Electronics in 1961 from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. While he began his professional work in the computer department of General Electric in Phoenix, Arizona, he held various management positions overseeing engineers and the development, production, and quality control of capacitors for the rest of his career. Besides General Electric, he also worked for Mepco/Electra, Mallory (Emhart), Aero M, Aerovox, and Maven Capacitors, a division of St. Jude Medical, which produced capacitors for heart defibrillators. His final position as Quality Assurance Manager with St. Jude Medical was a role he cherished so much that he postponed his retirement until 2012.

Ken met and married the love of his life, Donna Wheatley, while working for General Electric in Decatur, IL. She not only captured his heart, but also introduced this California man to the Midwest world of soybean farming! God blessed them with two sons, Kevin and Tim, and later six grandchildren. Ken and Donna enjoyed a full and rich life, working, attending church, fishing and boating on Lake Murray, and traveling to visit family and friends as well as to Germany on Reformation tours, to Greece on a “Footprints of Paul” tour, and to the Holy Land. Over the years, Ken enjoyed recounting their life’s events with wit and charm in 58 annual Christmas letters, creating a family history and preserving a record of their life together. He also loved participating in - washing dishes and taste testing - their annual Christmas “Cookie Day” with the grandchildren.

Ken had a life-long love of photography, developing his own black-and-white photos in his garage darkroom, entering contests, and capturing countless, beautiful memories. He enjoyed working in the yard, bird-watching, pursuing his love of astronomy with his telescope, and running, participating for years in the Run for God group at Riverland Hills Baptist Church.

Ken's deep and abiding faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was the cornerstone of his life. A faithful member of multiple churches throughout his life, he always sought to use his spiritual gift of helps to bring glory to God. He also served as an elder in many of the churches of which he was a member.

Ken is survived by his dearly loved wife of nearly 60 years, Donna L. Benson; his two sons, Kevin L. Benson (Laura), and Timothy E. Benson (Ericka); his grandchildren, Emma K. Schnupp (Aaron), Abby G. Benson, Millie C. Benson, Nate J. Benson, Micah A. Benson, and Daniel M. A. Benson; sister-in-law, Frances C. Benson; and nephews, Donald W. Benson and Douglas R. Benson (Christine).

Ken was preceded in death by his father, Carlton L. Benson, mother, Vauda M. Benson (Stansbury),and brother, Ronald H. Benson (Frances).

The family would like to thank the Prisma Health Heart Hospital doctors and nurses, especially Lauren, Marcel, Amanda, Cory, Heather, Devonne, Ashley, and Hope for their care and kindness during Ken's final days.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 6, 2023 at Riverland Hills Baptist Church, 201 Lake Murray Blvd, Irmo, SC 29063 with burial in Woodbridge Memorial Park in Lexington following the service. The family will greet friends before the service starting at 9:30 a.m. at Riverland Hills. Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel, is assisting the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Samaritan’s Purse U.S. Disaster Relief fund which can be sent to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 or given online at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/memorial-page/kenneth-lee-benson-chapin-sc/ in memory of Ken.

Kenneth Lee Benson's life was a testament to the love of family, a deep faith in God, and the beauty of a life well-lived. He will be forever cherished in our hearts.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.dunbarfuneralhomedutchfork.com for the Benson family.