in her sleep at LongLeaf Memory Care in Lakeway. She is survived by her husband of almost seventy
years, Joe Shaffer, her daughters, Sherilyn Underwood (Craig) and Sharla Campbell (John), grandson,
Derek Underwood (Carol) of Frost Creek, Colorado, grandson, Jerry A. Smith III (Angela) of Austin, Texas,
granddaughter, Elissa Helling (Matt) of New Orleans, Louisiana, and great grandsons, Jerry A. Smith IV,
Joseph Helling, George Helling and Russell Helling.
“Bennie” and Joe made their acquaintance seventy-three years back when she was fifteen and he
was sixteen. She was a sophomore at Lamar High School, and he was a junior at Lamar High School.
They met at the intersection of Auden and Bellaire Boulevard in Southside Place, Houston during the
Christmas holidays in 1949. Bennie and Joe maintained that acquaintance for seventy-three years
through dating in early 1950, going steady in March 1950, becoming engaged on June 1, 1951 at his
Lamar Senior Prom at the Rice Hotel, marrying on December 22, 1952, and having daughters, Sherilyn
Deleigh and Sharla Ann in March 1955 and October 1956.
“Bennie” regularly played her piano by ear, played tennis at the Houston Racquet Club,
attended all the sports activities of her grandchildren, Derek, Jerry III, and Elissa, and lived a full and
productive life.
“Bennie” has been a hospice patient since mid-January 2022 due to her advanced dementia. In
early November when she could no longer receive appropriate care at home, she entered LongLeaf
Memory Care near their home in Lakeway where she received attentive and compassionate medical
care prior to her death on November 12, 2022. The family wishes to thank Beacon Hospice and
LongLeaf Memory Care, including the following: Lucky, Amy, Jennifer and Christina.
There will be a memorial service in the spring at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston where
Bennie’s parents, Stone and Eglan Binford, and Joe’s parents, “Shack” and “Dee” Shaffer are buried.
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