January 26, 1921 to November 16, 2013
Born nine years before the depression, raised in Dallas, lived through the "good ole days" and graduated from Forest Avenue High School. Class of 1939, now known as Madison High School.
Paul and his wife, Margaret, were married in 1947 and for 59 years until her death in September, 2006. Paul is survived by his two sons and their spouses, 5 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.
The sons are Marvin and his wife, Martha, of Las Vegas, NV and Richard and his wife, Christen, of Richardson, TX. The grandchildren and great grandchildren are Chalice and her husband Brandon Alkire of Marshall, MO, who have twin sons, Ashton and Devin; Robert Beverly and his wife Karen of New York, NY, who have one son, Edan; Lisa and her husband Kyle Robinson of Sulphur Springs, TX, who have three daughters and a son, Taylor, Haley, Katelyn and Garrett; Jennifer and her husband Allan Rayson of Austin, TX, who have three sons, Will, Alex and Sammie; Julie and her husband Helmut Fraundorfer of Linz, Austria, who have two sons, Jake and Josh.
Paul and Margaret were members of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Oak Cliff from 1947 until they were no longer able to attend.
Fortunate to have a mechanical aptitude and strong curiosity for what makes things tick, Paul, at age 12, began building his own Model T Ford from spare parts. He soon found that he could enjoy working and earn while learning by helping neighbors maintain cars, farm equipment and construction machinery. In 1940, Paul took a temporary job recording physical inventory for Beckett Electric Company which later became Electrical Supply Corp. He quickly became a permanent employee of the company and worked as a truck driver, stock clerk and counter salesman until he was called to serve his country.
Paul is a veteran of WW II having served three and a half years in the U.S. Army Air Corp as a flight engineer and mechanic on the B26 bomber and three succeeding years in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Although he never left the States during WW II he had one of the most dangerous jobs in the military. He also, flew in the target tow planes and was shot at continually by his military buddies!
In July of 1947, Paul came back to Electrical Supply Corp, which was bought by Summers Electric which was later purchased by Stuart C. Irby Co. He started as an inside counter sales person and worked diligently to learn more about the materials and equipment in the electrical, refrigeration and air conditioning industries. In 1962, he was promoted to an outside sales person and created a new Dallas territory for himself. In 1987, he retired from Stuart C. Irby Co., and at that time, was the last of the original Electrical Supply Corp employees.
One of his fondest memories was the 1992 Benat Family Reunion where he and his siblings, Christina, Ruth, Sister Ann, Max (deceased prior to 1992), Otto, Robert, Jerry and himself were lovingly and collectively known as "The Board of Benats."
He is preceded in death by his Mother and Father, four brothers and three sisters (and all of their spouses), one nephew and one niece. He is also survived by one cousin, 15 nieces and nephews, grand and great nieces and nephews (too many to count).
He has been heard to say, "I never wanted to be the last one to go!" However, Paul is the last and the end of a "great generation" of Benats and loved by all.
Funeral Services are being handled by Calvary Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, 3235 Lombardy Ln, Dallas, TX 75220. There will be a viewing from 4 to 8 PM on Friday, November 22, with a Rosary at 6 PM at Calvary Hill. The funeral will be Saturday, November 23, with Mass starting at noon. There will be a reception for all in the community room at Calvary Hill following the funeral.
In lieu of flowers, you may make a contribution to the Parkinson's Voice Project, 646 N. Coit Rd. Suite 2250, Richardson, TX 75080 or the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018.
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