Madeleine Elizabeth Benson

Madeleine Elizabeth Heltzel Benson "Spats" passed away unexpectedly on October 18, 2015 after struggling with Alzheimer's for the past 7 years. Born in Warren, OH on April 25, 1927, she was the daughter of the late J. William and Mary K. Shanefelter Heltzel. She attended Mount Mercy Academy in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY in 1949 with a BA Degree in Sociology. She and her husband moved to West palm Beach in 1955 where she spent the next 14 years as a homemaker and loving mother. She was a member of Holy Family Circle and the Catholic Council of Women with St. Juliana Parish for many years. In 1969 she entered the workforce as a Human Services Analyst with the State of Florida Department of HRS, and continued working for over 25 years in order to support her family as a single mother of 7 children. Her love of and dedication to her children were tireless, and she sacrificed so much in order to give them as much as she was able. She also volunteered with the American Cancer Society after diagnosis and treatment for throat cancer.

She is survived by her children, John Peter Benson, Eleanor Todd (Ken), James Benson, all of West Palm Beach, FL; Patricia Gerschick (Donald) of Lake Worth, FL; Margaret Tierney (Carl) of Port St. Lucie, FL, and Mary Grace Evans (Tony) of Lynden, Ontario, Canada. She was lovingly referred to as "Oma" by her grandchildren, Kelly Grandusky (Kyle), Stacey Nolan (Scott), Madeleine Gerschick, Graceann Gerschick and Christopher Gerschick. She also leaves behind one great granddaughter, Kendall Grandusky, sister-in-law, Elizabeth Heltzel and eleven nieces and nephews, including her goddaughter, Kathy Keating Ayres. She was preceded in death by her parents, her son, Robert Christopher Benson (Brenda), sisters Eleanor and Kathleen Heltzel and Louise Heltzel Keating, and her brother Donald Heltzel. A very special thank you to Monica Holder-Little for the respite care over the past year.

Friends may visit with the family from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22nd at Quattlebaum Funeral, Cremation and Event Center at Hillcrest, 6411 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 23rd at St. Juliana's Catholic Church, 4500 South Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach followed by burial at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Alzheimer's Association of Southeast Florida, 3333 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406.