William "Bill" McConnell Benton

William “Bill” McConnell Benton, 82, died June 10, 2014 at his home. Viewing, Recitation of the Rosary and Vigil service will be held at 7:00 PM, Thursday, June 26th at St. John 23rd University Parish. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM, on June 27th at St. John XXIII. Cremation follows the mass with his cremated remains to be placed at Fort Logan National Cemetery in the future. Bill’s request would be that a donation of blood please be made to the blood bank, since he was a 20 gallon donor, in lieu of flowers. Or to the Hospital Foundation in his memory. In his own words: “Born at home on August 16, 1931 at a time when doctors actually made house calls, to my father, Thomas Franklin Benton and my mother, Minerva Brenzelia nee McConnell Benton in Animas City, Colorado; which was later incorporated into Durango. The youngest of a family of seven; four boys and three girls; the boys were always out numbered. Being the “baby” of the family, I was spoiled rotten. They kept changing my diapers frequently, but it never helped. At about age three, my parents moved down to Durango and opened a grocery store on Main Street and they also managed the apartment house next door. I attended Central Grade School for the 1st and 2nd grade and since Central was only three blocks from our store, up the hill and past Durango High, I was discouraged by my parents from riding the bus. I would have had to walk four blocks to catch the bus; so, they decided I should walk to school! Besides, I always beat the bus to school! During 3rd, 4th and 5th grade was a time when my folks were slowly going broke in the grocery store business; too much credit given to poor folks on welfare who, when they got their welfare checks, paid my Dad about 25% of what they owed and spent the rest of their money at Safeway down the street, because it was cheaper. After awhile, my folks figured supporting the people on welfare wasn’t too solid a business practice; like me, they were slow learners. They were forced by their wholesalers to file bankruptcy and move back to Animas City. The rest is rather boring and smacks of being Braggadocio! So, we will leave out my football years, the year we lived in Carlsbad, New Mexico; where during WWII (I won the city wide scrape metal collection contest,) my U.S. Army Intelligence Service, my pistol team awards and triumphs, my years as a radio announcer, my professional acting career, being a father of eight children, being past Grand Knight of three different councils, being a Life Knight of Columbus member, being a President and District Governor of Sertoma (SERvice TO Mankind) Service Club, former Kiwanis Club member, donated over 25 gallons of blood to Bonfis, since 1957, worked three years on the United Way Donation Screening Committee from 1977-80, have been in jail twice for charity, Salvation Army President and Board member from 1978-1988, member of the Larimer County Office On Aging Board from 2001-present, board member of the Fort Collins Children's Theatre in the 1970s one of the founders of S.O.A.P (Slightly Older Adult Players) in 1990 under the auspices of the Senior Center, and having the absolutely best wife God could possibly give any man!" In addition to Jean, Bill is survived by his eight children, David Benton of Washington, D.C., Mary Carol (and Fred) Fuller of Fort Collins, Pamela Moran of Oxnard Shores, CA, William Gerard "Gerry" Benton of Santa Clara, CA, Patricia "Trish" (and Jim) Aschenbrener of Fort Collins, Vincent (and Teresa) Benton of Aurora, CO, Michael Benton of Loveland, CO and Charles Benton of Aurora; ten grandchildren, Jacqueline Killmer, Eric Larson, Justin Aschenbrener, Amber (and Tom) Dayton, Geoffrey Benton, Carter Benton, Sela Benton, Connor Benton, Kaelyn Benton and Vincent Benton; and four great-grandchildren, Samantha Killmer, Logan Dayton, Taylor Dayton and Xander Dayton. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Jeremy Dayton. "All my accomplishments are written in the sand. All of my loves and hopes are chiseled in stone." ~Bill Benton "It has been a grand life, crammed full of good friends and relatives, who both loved me and were pissed at me; sometimes at the same time. And, if I’d written the script my self, I would have changed a word. Well, maybe I’d have dropped some of the meanness and put in more love, nut, hey I think it is too late no, damn! Love you all!” "Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither." ~ Ben Franklin "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have." ~ President Gerald Ford and ~ Thomas Jefferson "Without God as the needle in your moral compass, you are doomed to wander in this desert of life!" ~ W.M. Benton "When I'm Gone Don't cry because you miss me. Don't fret that I am gone. I'm only changing forms you see, My soul will carry on. I'm bound to visit Jesus. So, don't be blue or sad. Just know that I am thankful For the wondrous life I've had!" ~ Doug Benton, Bill's nephew (2005)

William "Bill" McConnell Benton

August 16, 1931 - June 10, 2014