Willard Raymond Benson

Willard R. Benson
August 16, 1926 ? May 14, 2013

Willard Raymond Benson died on May 14, 2013 in Clemson, South Carolina. He was born on August 16, 1926 in Dover, New Jersey to Oscar W. and Harriet King Benson. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Helene Antonia (Toni) Kraus Benson, sons Richard (Leslie) and Eric (Lisa), grandchildren Ted (Grace), Alex, Stephanie, James, Kenneth and Corey Benson, and Emily (Will) Martin, and 1 great-grandchild Lucy Martin. He was predeceased by his son, W. Todd (Tami) Benson, and his brother, Robert King Benson.

Growing up during the Depression, Willard spent short periods of his childhood in Binghamton, New York and Blacksburg, Virginia, where his father had gone to find work. But, for almost all of his childhood and pre-retirement adult years he was a resident of Dover, New Jersey.

Willard was an excellent high school student, with particular strength in math. He ran track and cross-country, and played basketball. After graduating from Dover High School in January of 1944, he then took classes at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey before entering the Army in November 1944.

While in the Army, Willard had postings in New Jersey (Fort Dix), Florida and Louisiana. He had the good fortune of being selected for the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) which was established in 1942 "to identify, train and educate academically-talented enlisted men as a specialized corps of Army officers during World War II." He took courses in civil engineering at the University of Connecticut and the University of Maine before completing the ASTP program in December 1945. He received his Honorable Discharge from the Army in August 1946. Between 1946 and 1949, Willard completed his Mechanical Engineering degree at Stevens.

In 1949, Willard, newly married and recently graduated from college, began work with the National Advisory Council for Aeronautics (NACA) in Langley Field, Virginia. NACA was the predecessor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). While working for NACA in Langley, Willard completed a Master of Science degree in applied mechanics with the University of Virginia. In 1952, Willard moved back to Dover, NJ and took a position as an Army ordnance engineer with the Engineering Research Section of Picatinny Arsenal.

Willard had a highly decorated career as a civilian engineer working for the Army, mostly at Picatinny Arsenal. He spent three years, 1973-76, at the U.S. Army Armament Command in Rock Island, Illinois. He received frequent promotions and at different times led research and development efforts in fuzing (mechanical timing devices) and nuclear applications. As chief of the Feltman Research Labs at Picatinny from 1960 to 1968, he was a pioneer in mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Indeed, the very first computer ever installed at Picatinny was an analog computer ordered by Willard.

In 1981, Willard retired from the Army and founded Beacon Technology, Inc., an independent consulting firm. The company was active for about a dozen years, after which Willard re-retired and settled with Toni in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 2007, Willard and Toni moved to Clemson, South Carolina.

During his career, Willard received over 60 letters of commendation from within and outside the government. The most notable formal recognitions were: a Secretary of the Army Research and Study Fellowship (1959); the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award (1965); and the Army Exceptional Civilian Service Award (1976). The Secretary of the Army Research and Study Fellowship was a highly competitive award that permitted Willard to study for a year at Stanford University. He received his second M.S. degree, this time in statistics, from Stanford in 1960. The Meritorious Civilian Service Award and the Exceptional Civilian Service Award are, respectively, the second highest and highest honors that a civilian can receive from the Army.

As a resident of Dover, New Jersey, Willard did much to enhance his community. In many ways he was following in the footsteps of his father, Oscar, who was named by the Dover Lions Club as "Dover's Outstanding Citizen for 1956." His wife, Toni, was also active in the community and taught grade school in the Randolph Township School District.

During his career Willard visited Dover High School to speak to students, or bring DHS students to Picatinny Arsenal to see the engineering work being done there. Willard was a long-time member of the Dover Rotary Club, the West Morris Boy Scout District, and Dover School Board. At various times he served each of these organizations as president.

Willard Benson's family and friends mourn the passing of this brilliant, accomplished, kind and generous man. They wish to thank the many kind nurses and staff at the Sterling House, Clemson Downs Health Care Center, and Interim HealthCare Hospice for their excellent and compassionate care. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2013, 3:00 p.m., at Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home in Central, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Interim HealthCare Hospice, 775 Spartan Blvd. Suite 101, Spartanburg, SC 29301-9957, or at www.interimhealthcarehospice.org.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or at Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home, Central, SC.