Barbara Jean Benken's Obituary
Barbara Jean Benken, 80, was born November 19, 1941, in Oneida, New York, and was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on July 18, 2022, surrounded by her family. She grew up and attended Hamilton High School in Hamilton, New York before attending college in Deposit, New York. She met and married the love of her life, Thomas, in 1964 and they moved to West Palm Beach, Florida shortly thereafter.
Barbara graduated with her Nursing Degree from the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh.
She began her nursing career as a school nurse in Deposit, NY. Once in Florida, she worked as an ICU cardiac nurse, prior to her appointment as Nursing Faculty at Palm Beach State College in 1968 specializing in Labor and Delivery nursing. She took her students for clinical learning to Good Samaritan Hospital where she also moonlighted as a practicing RN in the Labor and Delivery Department, helping to deliver over 500 babies, 11 of which she delivered herself, and attended at least 12 of the deliveries of her nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. In addition to all this, she spent her off-time assisting Tom in their joint venture running the first and largest pet sitting business in Palm Beach County.
After retiring from Palm Beach State College in the late 1990s and moving to Gainesville, Florida, she became the Director of Nursing Education at the University of Florida Health - Shands Hospital. She loved her career and reluctantly retired from nursing in 2009 to pursue her other passions.
Her retirement allowed Barb and Tom to travel in their RV, go on cruises, and focus on being the best Amma and Poppa to their four precious and cherished grandchildren. Additionally, Barb was blessed to be able to be a great grandma (GG-Amma) to her first and only great-grandchildren.
Barb enjoyed quilting, knitting, baking, and spending time with her family. She volunteered as a cuddler and donated countless knitted caps for premature babies in the neonatal unit at UFH-Shands.
Barbara was preceded in death by her loving husband, Thomas Edwin Benken, her parents, Sherrill and Ida Mae White. She is survived by her daughters, Colleen (Richard) Davidson and Jeannette (Jeremy) Hester; sister, Amarynth (Richard) Carlson; grandchildren, Keith Davidson, Kelsey (Michael) Bell, Chloe (Kenneth) Valentine, Kyle Hester; and twin great-grandsons, Grayson, and Jackson Valentine, as well as many in-laws, nieces and nephews.
A Celebration Of Life will be held on Friday, July 22, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. at Williams-Thomas Westarea Chapel 823 NW 143rd street Newberry, Florida with Pastor Barbara Anderson as officiant. A reception will follow.
For those who wish, memorials may be made to Women at Rest Ministries at www.womenatrest.net in Barbara’s memory.
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