Gerlinde Benbow

Gerlinde (Schuff) Benbow passed away peacefully on March 16, 2023. She was born on June 29, 1944, in Velp, Netherlands to Kurt and Kaethe Schuff and raised in Homburg, Germany until moving to Indiana in her early 20’s. Gerlinde met the love of her life, Don, in 1972 while working at a local Indianapolis restaurant, The Capri. They got married in Las Vegas in July of 1973 and were married for 49 wonderful years until the passing of her sweetheart in March of 2019. During her life, Gerlinde was a hard-working person. She worked at various restaurants and establishments throughout the greater Indianapolis area. At the time when she and Don started their own family, Gerlinde began a childcare service out of their home in order to be close with her three kids. Sometime later, she helped run paper routes with the family in their local neighborhoods. To round out her eclectic working history, she was employed at various Carmel Clay Schools cafeterias for nearly two decades. She spent the majority of her time at the high school when her two youngest children who were still in secondary education at the time. She lent her wit and friendly demeanor to every child she served and helped. Gerlinde’s love languages were food and laughter. She would always have a meal to share and a joke to deploy in order to bring a smile to others. No one ever left her house hungry or without a big hug. A keystone of Gerlinde’s personality was the element of surprise. She presented her closest friends and complete strangers with moments of the unexpected that created lasting impressions. She was never afraid to call it like she saw it and was courageously honest. She enjoyed traveling, cooking, hosting parties, swimming, and socializing with her friends and family. She is survived by her sisters, Ulricke Taylor and Sybille (Gerhardt) Wagner; her children, Kip (Nikki) Benbow, Benjamin (Emily Worth) Benbow, daughter Gina (Colin) Clayton; her three grandchildren, Murphy, Atticus, and Isaac; and her 2 nephews Felix and Sebastian Wagner. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a local food bank, such as Second Helpings. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.crownhill.org for the Benbow family.