Bengt Arne Ingvar Espling

Bengt was born in New York city to Swedish parents. He grew up early, working from a young age and as an adult served in the Korean War as a Marine. He met Laura and two weeks later said they were to be married. That marriage lasted sixty-seven years and produced seven kids. Bengt studied and mastered watchmaking but also became a business manager and vice president to a chain of stores for a national jewelry company with over 200 locations. He left that company to become a Jacksonville local jeweler to spend less time traveling and more with his family. Many know him as an avid runner from racing which he loved competing and winning. His neighbors knew him as a shadow jogging through their neighborhood in the early hours. He was the inspiration sponsoring and creating the Thanksgiving half marathon which is now a family tradition in the Jacksonville community. He had a Viking spirit and loved to fish, often in small boats and wasn’t bothered by rough seas. He loved his family and his church. Many at the church will remember him passing out bulletins which pleased him greatly.

Bengt’s wife Laura died just six weeks prior and his brother Holger eleven months prior.

Children (spouses): Joe (deceased), Laurie, Ben (Stevee), Mary (Pedro) Espling-Gonzalez, Daniel (Michele), Carl (Danielle), Arne and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Services will be held at San Jose Catholic Church starting at 10:30am on Monday, January 04, 2021, followed by the celebration of Mass at 11:00am, which is also the final resting place near the shrine.