James Jim Bennett Wentworth Bengel

(aka JAMES BENNETT)

James Wentworth Bengel (also known as Jim Bennett), 87, passed away Nov. 3, 2015, at Southview Hospital.

Jim was born January 27, 1928, in Dayton and later attended the Ohio Military Institute in Cincinnati. He graduated high school in Pasadena, Calif., and began his broadcasting career as a janitor at KIEV in Glendale, Calif. At KIEV he also served as a traffic and part-time weekend announcer.

He returned to Ohio, became an announcer at WWSO in Springfield and married Virginia Weber on Nov. 10, 1947. From 1952 to 1954 he served in the U.S. Army. His broadcasting career included serving as sales manager, vice president and general manager at WIZE in Springfield. He also was at various times production director, newscaster, vice president and general manager of WING. In 1980 he retired as president of WING. His main achievements in broadcasting were to triple the sales at WING, find and develop an FM station which became WGTZ (the former Z93), and designing and building the WING studios on David Road. He has been credited with discovering talents including Nancy Cartwright and Kim Faris.

After retiring, he and Virginia ran Advertising and Talent Associates for more than 20 years until they closed the company in 2003. Jim cared for his wife for nearly a decade before she died Feb. 1, 2008. He continued to operate All Media Services from his home until his death.

Throughout his life, Jim was active in his community serving in leadership capacities with the Springfield Advertising Club, the Dayton Advertising Club, the St. Charles Church Parish Council, the Clark County Tuberculosis and Public Health Association, the Springfield Kiwanis Club, the Hyde Park Civic Association, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Dayton Association, the City of Kettering 25th Anniversary Steering Committee and the Clark County United Way Appeal.

In 2005, both he and his wife received the Lifetime Broadcast Achievement Award from the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Miriam P. and J. Wade Bengel; his wife, Virginia; and his daughter Julie Ann Neeley, Oct. 17, 2009.

He is survived by his son Jeffrey and his wife Sharon of Springboro; six grandchildren, Bethany (Chris) LaFountain of Beavercreek; Robert Bengel of Kettering; James (Kimberly) Bengel of Clermont, Fla.; Amanda (Jeff) Wilson of Kettering; William Naragon of Springboro; and Daniel Neeley of Columbus; five great-grandchildren, Eden, Archer and Finn LaFountain of Beavercreek; Anneliese Fix and Isaac Wilson of Kettering; a son-in-law, Calvin (Patty) Neeley of Beavercreek; and a host of both human and animal friends.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, at Tobias Funeral Home, Far Hills Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6, 2015 at Incarnation Catholic Church, 33 Williamsburg Drive, Centerville, Ohio, Rev. Lawerence Mirenfeld presiding. Burial will be at David’s Cemetery, Kettering. Memorials may be directed to St. Vincent de Paul Society, 1540 Brownleigh Road, Dayton, OH 45429. Online condolences may be sent to www.tobiasfuneralhome.com