Dr. Homer Stanley Benson Jr., age 95, died peacefully in his Chattanooga home on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. A resident of Chattanooga since 2006, he was an active member of the Kiwanis Club and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. He also served for many years as a judge on the Torch Award Committee for the Better Business Bureau and as a volunteer counselor for SCORE.
Dr. Benson was born on December 29, 1925 in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of Homer Stanley Benson Sr. and Lou Ellen Bragg. His parents soon after moved back to Columbus Georgia where Dr. Benson graduated from Columbus High School. Further schooling was interrupted by his military service in World War II as a Navy dental assistant in Corpus Christi and then Great Lakes Naval Training Center. In 1950 he graduated from the University of Georgia as a proud Sigma Chi with a BS in Chemistry. Schooling was interrupted again by the Korean War when he once again served his country in Japan as an Army cavalry officer training soldiers in the operation of tanks.
After the Korean War he completed his schooling, graduating fifth in his class from Emory University School of Dentistry in 1958. From that time until he retired in 2006, Dr. Benson operated a successful and much loved dental practice. In 1978, while deep-sea fishing in Acapulco, he met and fell in love with his current wife, Mary Florence Benson.
His family and friends will remember Stan for many reasons: his love of music, playing trumpet both in high school and college; his intelligence, quick wit, constant charm, friendliness, calm demeanor, and loving support of his family and friends. As his high school yearbook noted, he was small of stature, but big in heart.
Aside from practicing family dentistry for 48 years in Columbus, Stan also served as Senior Warden at St. Thomas Church as well as usher. He spent his personal time nurturing friendships, playing golf, boating and driving Mary Florence’s wheelbarrow on her many landscaping projects.
Dr. Benson is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Florence Benson and their blended family: Robert Stanley Benson (Susan) and Elizabeth Benson Ausbon; Karen White (Harvey), Ron Harr (Linda Andreae), Kristina Higgins (Raymond), and Kemp Harr (Anne); his brother Marvin Richard Benson; and seven grandchildren; Katherine Benson Webster, Robin Benson, Joey White, Ginny Harr Webb, Betsy Harr Akins, Ellis Harr and Abigail Harr.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. When making donations, the reference ID is 22456827
The funeral will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chattanooga at 10am on Friday, June 4, 2021 with a brief visitation following the service.
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