He will be greatly missed by his surviving family, including his wife, Florence, whom he married in January 1955, and their two daughters, Barbara Johnson of Lexington, SC and Nancy Cohen of New York City. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Melissa (Patrick) McKiernan of Irmo, SC, his great-grandson, Rory McKiernan, and seven nieces and nephews. Ben was predeceased in death by his parents, Francis and Theresa Skelly, and his siblings, Frank Skelly, Katherine Ryan, Mary Vogel, and John Skelly.
Ben served in Korea in the US Army from 1951 to 1953 as a medic, earning the Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. He was employed by the Schaefer Brewing Company in Brooklyn, NY for over 25 years until the plant relocated. He then worked for Pan Am Airlines at JFK Airport in Jamaica, NY before opening his own company, Two G's Trucking, specializing in cargo transportation.
Ben was a member of Holy Name of Mary Church and the St. Therese The Little Flower Council #2622 Knights of Columbus in Valley Stream, NY. In 1990, Ben and Florence retired and moved to Ellenton, Florida where he enjoyed fishing and completing jigsaw puzzles.
A visitation will be held on Friday, February 16, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home: Lexington Chapel, located at 503 North Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29072. A memorial service will follow at Ft. Jackson National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org. The Caughman-Harman Funeral Home-Lexington Chapel in Lexington, SC, is assisting with the arrangements.
