Henry Hank A Benson

Henry Andrew "Hank" Benson Beloved son, brother, uncle and father died February 28, 2011 of Chron's Disease. Hank endured the effects of Chron's his entire adult life, but embraced life with great courage and joyful enthusiasm. He received the gift of a multiple organ transplant in January and fought valiantly to recover from the surgery. Hank passed on peacefully surrounded by his brothers and sisters. Born in San Francisco, CA to Clark and Betty Anne Benson, Hank was the youngest of five siblings. He spent his formative years in Millbrae, CA and graduated from Mills High School. From an early age Hank demonstrated his zest for life and eventually captured that passion in his photographic work. Family camping trips to Lake Tahoe inspired a love of the outdoors; and winter vacations at his beloved grandmother's home introduced him to alpine skiing, a sport at which he excelled. Hank enjoyed sailing on San Francisco Bay and became an expert yachtsman on the family sail boat. The consummate entertainer, Hank developed a flair for cooking and delighted in preparing gourmet meals for family and friends. Hank graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA in 1979 earning a Fine Arts degree. He went on to pursue a career in print photography, specializing in advertising. In 1982 he founded Benson Photography and produced his creative style of photo advertising for magazines and business portfolios. Always in pursuit of excellence and new challenges, Hank went on to establish himself as a director in the television-advertising medium. He became a member of the Directors Guild of America. Hank's unique and inspired vision attracted a full spectrum of advertising agencies from across North America. He was contracted to produce work in many genres including the automotive, health care, and technology industries and the military services. Hank was generous with his talent and time in the production of public service announcements, as well. His true passion was crafting the story utilizing "real" people rather than actors to bring the story to life. It was this quest for the human spirit that inspired his efforts to create visual excellence with compelling emotion and authenticity. Hank received many awards and acknowledgements for his photographic work in both print and television including numerous Clio, One Show and Addy awards, as well as recognition from San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas Art Director's Club. Hank is survived by his two daughters, Genevieve and Elizabeth, and step-daughter Stephanie of Marin County, CA. His girls were his greatest joy and he delighted in their activities, which included a shared love of skiing and photography. The last three years of his life Hank lived with his parents Clark and Betty Benson to assist with their in-home care, a duty he performed with much love and grace. Hank is also survived by his two brothers, Clark Benson Jr. of Napa, CA and Jeff Benson of Foster City, CA, and two sisters, Lucinda Jensen of Eugene, OR and Bettina Holquist of Burlingame, CA. Countless devoted friends from across the United States and Canada have enjoyed professional and creative associations with Hank throughout his life. Hank will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him, but we are blessed with a photographic legacy that is a window to the soul of a beautiful man. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the UCLA Medical Center Liver/Bowel Transplant Program (payable to UC Regents, 77-120 CHS 10833, LeConte Av, Los Angeles, CA 90095) in memory of Henry Benson. Family and friends will celebrate a "Hank Fest" on Sunday, March 13 at 3:00 pm at the Leland Ranch, 24120 Arnold Dr. - Hwy 121, Sonoma.