Carl Alfred Benson

Carl Alfred (Al) Benson, 97, died peacefully on Saturday, August 14th at Spring Arbor of Cary in Cary, NC. Al was born on August 6, 1924 in Zion, IL to the late Carl Herman and Esther Foster Benson of Zion, IL.

Al graduated from Zion-Benton township High School in 1942. After graduating, he started working for the American Can Company and worked there only a short time before he was drafted into the Army Air Forces in 1943, where he served until 1945. Six months of this time were spent in combat as a Radio Operator/Gunner on a B-24 Liberator Bomber with the 15th Air Force 450th Bomb Group 722 Squadron based out of Manduria, Italy. During this time, Al completed 38 combat missions, which was enough to allow him to return to the states.

After returning from overseas, Al married Gloria June King on January 16, 1945, whom he met in high school and corresponded with throughout his tour. Al was able to return to his job with the American Can Company after being discharged. During their 69 years of marriage, they raised five sons. Al was transferred to various American Can Company locations during his career and with each move, they joined a Bible teaching church. They discovered that when they joined the various churches, they instantly had an extended family who took them in. Both Al and Gloria found their places of service in each of their church homes, which for Al, always revolved around teaching in Children’s Ministry.

Al worked with American Can Company until his retirement in 1989 as Manager of Electrical Systems Design. After his retirement, in 1990 he was called back to the company as a consultant and continued until 1996 with assignments in England, where his wife joined him on two trips, Mexico, Chicago, and many other locations in the US.

Al was a wonderful loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was a quiet, unassuming man who had a wealth of knowledge and skills. He was always ready to share his knowledge and skills to help anyone that was in need but preferred to work in the background. Al was an avid vegetable gardener, and his favorite retirement activity was woodworking, where he created thousands of small wooden characters, figures, cars, and trains to give to his grandchildren, friends, and children at church.

Al was preceded in death by his wife Gloria, his parents, his three brothers Arthur, Gene and Leo, and a grandson Jonathan who was taken at age 9 by a congenital disease. He is survived by sons Terry (Danielle) of Matthews, NC; Barry (Kathleen) of Temecula, CA; Loren (Cindy) of Temple, TX; Donald (Angela) of Willow Spring, NC; and Corey (Donna) of Cary, NC and ten grandchildren: Rachelle (Ryan) Watkins of Matthews, NC; Kate (Grant) Butler of Las Vegas, NV; Bailey Benson of New York, NY; Kristin (John) Bate of Temple, TX; Megan (Chris) Stevens of Ruston, LA; Brandon Benson of Nashville, TN; Shanna Benson of Orlando, FL; Emily, Bryan and Gracyn Benson of Cary, NC and nine great-grandchildren: Jonathan and Isabelle Watkins of Matthews, NC; Brianna and Brynlee Butler of Las Vegas, NV; Ethan, Owen and Logan Bate of Temple, TX; and Phineas and Toby Stevens of Ruston, LA.

Al was a member of Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh since 1990 and will join his wife Gloria in the Columbarium there.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt appreciation to the amazing staff at Spring Arbor of Cary for the excellent care that they provided for our father and to Transitions LifeCare of Raleigh for their added help and support.

A memorial service will be held Friday, August 27, 2021 at 11am at Edenton Street United Methodist Church, 228 W. Edenton Street, Raleigh.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Al Benson’s name to Edenton Street United Methodist Church Children’s Ministry.

Services provided by Brown-Wynne, St. Mary's Street, Raleigh.