Dale E. Benjamin

Dale E. Benjamin, 96, passed on peacefully the evening of December 30, 2021 in Enumclaw, WA.

Dale was born February 28, 1925, in Winchester, Idaho. He was the oldest of 4 siblings. His parents, Earnest and Alpha (Leister) Benjamin, lived with his Grandfather Leister when he was born, moving to Potlatch for a short time when he was very young, then to the Woodside area. He attended the old Woodside School through 7th grade, then Jewell School and Winchester High School, graduating May 1942. Dale remembered his Grandfather Leister buying the Spear Place (near Jewell School) along the Winchester/Forest road, when the Woodside school was planning to close because of too few school children. Dale and his brother Glen helped men burn stumps so the land could be farmed, and for 5th grade he remembers his family living at the Spear place, sharing a house with 2 other families with school age children. He also remembered Literary Programs at the old Woodside School every 2 weeks in winter, with music, dancing, food, and his Grandfather Leister playing the Krieble piano.

Dale’s Dad died as a result of a tractor accident in 1940 when Dale was fifteen. Dale remembered his Dad as hard working, and also remembers him reading stories (one chapter a night) to his kids.  Dale’s Mother remarried in 1948 to Norval Hawk.

Dale started Chemical Engineering studies at the University of Idaho in 1942, and was interrupted by WW II in February 1944. He saw service in China, receiving an honorable discharge in 1946. Returning to the University of Idaho, he met his future wife, Garnet Otilia Storms, in a Chemistry class. They graduated in 1949, Dale with a Chemical Engineering degree, and Garnet with a Chemistry degree. They married after graduation, then farmed in Winchester for 10 years. In 1959, he turned farming over to his brother Ray, and moved his family to Lewiston to take a job with Potlatch.  Dale’s career with Potlatch spanned almost 30 years, including work as a research chemist, technical assistant, and technical and production supervisor in the Lewiston mills. He transferred to Potlatch’s Cloquet, MN site as Division Manager of Research and Development in 1976, and to McGehee AR as Technical Director in 1984. He loved his work, especially figuring out complicated issues. He retired in 1988.

Besides his work, Dale made time for his 5 children. with many family camping and fishing and rock hunting trips (especially for Idaho star garnets and sapphires). He was a dedicated Scoutmaster of Boy Scout troop 151 in Lewiston for many years, receiving a special Award of Merit when he moved away.

He and Garnet moved to Rogers, AR after he retired (good fishing!), then to Vancouver, WA in 1994.  He used the same systematic approach in his retirement as he did at work, and through different experiments became an expert in growing Kiwi, marionberries, raspberries, and roses, although Mom did say storing Mason bees in the refrigerator was a bit too much!

Dale and Garnet were married 64 years before Garnet passed on.  Dale shared a home with a daughter the last few years. Those who knew him well remember his sense of humor, gentlemanly manner, curiosity, systematic persistence in finding solutions, and belief in hard work and perseverance.

Dale is survived by his sister, Janene Alley, sister-in-law Patricia Benjamin, sons David (Paulette) Benjamin, Leon (Jayne) Benjamin, and Francis (Heidi) Benjamin; daughters Barbara (Ed) Bickford and Mary Jo (Gregg) Willis; and many loved 2nd and 3rd generation family members.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Earnest and Alpha Benjamin, his step-dad Norval Hawk, his wife Garnet, brothers Ray Benjamin and Glen Benjamin, and sister-in-law Hazel Benjamin.

Dale was placed at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent with his wife Garnet. A family gathering to celebrate his life will happen later this year.

Memorials, if desired, may be made to the Museum of Winchester History or to a charity of your choice.

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