Arnold Mixon Benson

Arnold Mixon Benson, Jr. (90) passed away peacefully on September 26, 2023 in Houston, TX. Arnold was born in the Bronx and grew up with his parents as an only child in New York City where he attended the Bronx High School of Science and later New York City College. He would go on to earn a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

It was while working on his doctorate that he met Betty Jean Heggemeier, a small town girl from a large farm family of seven children, who was working at the University. As the story goes, one day she arrived to find her typewriter had been replaced with a basket of apples by a mischievous suitor, Arnold himself. Following graduation, Arnold served two years as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He and Betty were married in 1959 at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Nashville, Illinois, and moved to Oakland, California, where Arnold had accepted a position with Shell Oil Company. Arnold worked for Shell his entire career which included postings in Holland, New York, and ultimately Texas.

Though he spent a majority of his life in Texas, he remained a diehard NY Yankees fan, rooting for them over the Astros in recent playoffs. Arnold would recount the time he and a pal snuck into Yankee Stadium (the old stadium) by slipping into a line of children who were being sponsored by the Kiwanis Club to attend a baseball game. The two pals would later break away from the group and jump over barriers to the open seats section below.

Arnold’s engineering skills would serve him well in retirement. He was DIY before there was DIY. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix with a 2x4 or PVC pipe. He made beautiful hand crafted furniture, chess boards, outdoor play equipment, jigsaw puzzles, extensive Brio-like trains and tracks, and a wooden rocking horse that is a family treasure.

All his life he was hard working and honest (excepting the Yankee stadium incident). He cared for all parts of nature, from his tomato gardens to the insects who would frequently visit, and he always rooted for the underdog (again excepting for the Yankees). He was deeply loved and he will be deeply missed.

Arnold was preceded in death by his parents: Arnold Mixon Benson, Sr. and Maud Elaine McDonald Benson, his wife Betty Heggemeier Benson, and his first cousin Betty Lou Fetherston.

He is survived by his daughters Sara Benson and Leah Center, his son-in-law Joe Center, four grand children: Lucas, Willem, Emma, and Ally Center, and Orion his great grandson.

He is also survived by his brother-in-law Bob Heggemeier and many Heggemeier nieces and nephews as well as Benson family first cousins.

A service will be held in Arnold’s memory. Details are to be announced.

In honor of Arnold’s lifelong and every day pursuit of education, science, and mathematics, tribute donations can be made to The Bronx High School of Science. https://bxscience.edu/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=321514&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=606157