OBITUARY
Thomas John Benton was the oldest son born to Dorothy and John Benton. He was predeceased buy both parents and his brother, Richard.
Tom was born in Jamaica, Queens, NY and moved to Woodmere, Long Island at an early age. He attended Woodmere Elementary and Junior High Schools. Tom attended George W. Hewlett High School but left at the age of 16, and went to work as a body and fender mechanic. At 18, he joined the Woodmere Fire Department and rose to the rank of Captain of Hose Company #1. After his success in the Fire Department, he returned to school and got his G.E.D.
Thomas entered the US Marine Corp. and served in Viet Nam from 1965 to 1969.
Upon leaving the Military, he went to work for Mutual of Omaha in Miami, Florida. In this office he rose to Unit Manager and in 1974 was one of Mutual’s top managers in the country. Tom continued to excel, and became the General Manager of the Syracuse office, and later the Flushing, NY office.
On January 7, 1989, Tom had his first heart attack and retired from the Insurance Industry. He used this time to get his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Empire State College and his Teaching License. Although Tom never worked as a Teacher, per se, he volunteered his services daily in the East Harlem Block School, and P.S. 108. For 20 years he worked in various capacities: as a Kindergarten Substitute Teacher, Lunch Duty Officer, and Supply Officer.
Tom loved children, cars and driving. With his wife, he drove throughout most of the contiguous United States.
Thomas married Donna Benton in 1983, and they have been together every single day since that union.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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