Gerald “Jerry” James Benford (75) passed away on June 14, 2018. His final days were full of visits with family and friends and enjoying barbecue ribs. He is preceded in death by his parents, James “Jimmy” and Clotilde Benford and his brother, Ronald “Ronnie” Benford. Jerry is survived by his sister, Cynthia Benford, his daughters –Jessica (Luke) Powell and Amy Benford, his granddaughters- Simone and Stella Powell and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Jerry was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and always remained a loyal fan of the White Sox. He attended Loyola University Chicago for undergraduate, graduate school, and law school. In the late 1970s, he relocated to Phoenix and quickly adapted to the southwestern lifestyle. Having been a student when Loyola won the NCAA basketball tournament in 1963, he was thrilled to see his alma mater return to the NCAA Final Four this spring.
He was an accomplished attorney with a focus on management-side labor and employment matters for Republic Services, Greyhound Exposition Services, Dial Corp. and other companies. He enjoyed playing golf, traveling and attending live sporting events, such as the Fiesta Bowl (annually), Olympic Games, World Cup, and Sun Devil football. He was known for his outgoing personality, generosity and humor. He will be missed.
Visitation is scheduled for June 25th from 5-9 pm. A celebration of life will be held on June 26th at 10 am at A.L. Moore-Grimshaw Mortuaries Bethany Chapel, 710 West Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013.
In Lieu of flowers the family suggests contribution may be made to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation or to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Jerry's Memory.
