Born in Atlanta on May 1, 1932 during the depression and raised during World War II, Julian Whitfield Benson Jr. was known to his family and friends as Whit. As a child, Whit fell in love with the outdoors and spent as much time as possible hiking through the backcountry. He was an enthusiastic Boy Scout, ultimately earning his Eagle Scout. Whit was only 17 years old when he joined the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club in 1949.
After working as a geologist on an oil rig in Louisiana, Whit graduated from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He married Dorothy McCaleb in October 1955, and had three daughters – Julia Benson-Slaughter, Kathy Rary, and Holley Bensman. After 11 years, Dorothy died of a heart attack, leaving him alone to raise his three young girls. Later, Whit married Gale Whiten, an engineer at Lockheed, and they had a son Chris Benson and a daughter Alyssa Daya. Their marriage lasted 43 years until his death.
After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, Whit was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant. During his service, he had the opportunity to work with several early computers. In 1957. He joined Lockheed-Georgia as an engineer programming computer simulations of real-time flight conditions for the C-5 Galaxy, the C-130 Hercules, and the F-22 Raptor. At the same time, he earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Whit and Gale retired from Lockheed in 1999, giving them a chance to travel and enjoy life together.
Whit was a member of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club for more than 3/4 of the club’s total history. He held nearly every office on the Board of Directors, and his peers regarded him as a knowledgeable, yet unassuming leader and an insightful administrator. Whit Benson has dedicated much of the past 60 years of his life to the GATC and hiking.
After a 7 year battle with pulmonary fibrosis, Whit Benson died in his sleep in the early morning hours of Saturday, October 8, 2011 at the age of 79. He is survived by his wife Gale, five children, and many grandchildren and his sister, Joy Byrd. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. at H.M. Patterson & Son, Canton Hill Chapel. Burial will take place Wednesday morning at Westview Cemetery and is private. Online condolences may be expressed at www.hmpattersoncantonhill.com
H.M. Patterson & Son, Canton Hill Chapel is honored to serve the family of Mr. Julian Benson
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