Donald Wayne Benson's Obituary
Donald Wayne Benson, a loving husband to Bessey and loving father to Christopher, was born August 16, 1947 in Chicago, IL to Audley and Esther Benson. Don has two older brothers Dave and Dennis. As a kid he participated in Cub Scouts and learned to play drums. The Benson family moved to Anchorage, AK in 1963 and experienced the great earth quake of ‘64. In early 1965 the family moved to Hayward, CA and Don attended Mt. Eden High School and proudly owned a 1956 Chevy.On March 10, 1967 Don met Bessey Blevins on a blind date and they soon fell in love. September 23, 1967 Bessey said yes to Don’s marriage proposal and were married at St. Joachim’s Catholic Church August 17, 1968 the day after Don’s 21st birthday.Drafted into the U.S. Army he served in Vietnam from 1970-1971 working in a supply warehouse. Don’s son, Christopher, was born December 10, 1970.Returning from Vietnam he worked as a warehouse foreman for Montgomery Ward and later as a custodian at Chabot College.Don always enjoyed visiting Mt. Lassen National Forest and fishing Hat Creek. In 2002 Don and Bessey bought a home for recreation in Shingletown, CA on Highway 44 just west of Mt. Lassen. The family lived most of their life in the Hayward area until 2007 when Don and Bessey moved fulltime to their Retirement home in Shingletown.A few hobbies he enjoyed were fishing, collecting Hot Wheels, and feeding the backyard squirrels. His best friend was a Manchester Terroir dog named Harley.Don and Bessey celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past year. Whenever she would say to him “I love you.” His response was always, “I love you more!”He passed away December 21, 2018 and final resting place is Chapel of the Chimes Hayward, CA.
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