Robert John Benton

Robert J. Benton, age 50 of Sterling Heights, died Friday, November 13, 2009 at home following a hard fought battle with cancer. He was a "post-Christmas gift" to his parents, the late Thomas and the late Mary (nee: Neff) Benton, having been born on December 26, 1958 in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. For his career path, Robert chose the field of sales. With a history that included appliances and recreational vehicles, Robert's greatest sales successes and passion for his work were enveloped within the automotive sector. A consummate car salesman, he was always seeking greater insights on finance and business through the mentoring he received by Dave Ramsey of the Fox Business Network, one of his favorite TV shows. But Robert had an even broader scope of learning, as evidenced by some of his other TV favorites such as the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and the Food Network. And being a man of faith, he would often seek inspiration through the ministry and teachings of Pastor Joyce Meyers. It wasn't enough just to feed his mind, but his heart and spirit were important as well. Robert loved the outdoors and all aspects of nature and wildlife. Though he, assumably, considered himself a hunter, one has to appreciate the following reflection from his eldest son, Robert. He states; "He always went hunting every opening day for 25 years and never got anything. He claims it was bad luck, but we all knew he just didn't have the heart to take an animals life." And such describes the heart of a compassionate man. Other sporting pastimes he enjoyed included watching NASCAR, crab fishing and golf. He also enjoyed playing the game of golf and would share that experience from time to time with his boys at the driving range, teaching them some of the finer points of the game. And though he wasn't given to being much into video games, his sons recall how much he loved spending time with them playing Tiger Woods '08 on Play Station 2. Another passion of Robert's was his love of country music. As quoted by his boy's...perhaps "a little too much." And perhaps his greatest passion of all was his love of everything "Christmas!" It was his most special time of year, a time when the "kid" in him truly came alive. There was a lot to love about this special man, and there are two young men who will miss their Dad immensely! Robert leaves to cherish his memory, two sons, Robert and Matthew. Also surviving are brothers, Bill (Debbie) Benton, Tom Benton, and Gary (Kim) Benton. He was predeceased by parents, Thomas and Mary, and sister, Sharon Hinz. Visitation for Robert will be on Friday, November 20 from 5:00-9:00pm at the D.S. Temrowski & Sons Funeral Home, 30009 Hoover Road at Common (12 1/2 Mile Rd) in Warren. He will lie in state on Saturday, November 21 at Christ Lutheran Church, 32300 Schoenherr Road in Warren from 10:30am until the time of his funeral service at 11:00am. Memorial donations would be appreciated to the family. Please share memories of Robert at his guest book.