Louise Benson

Louise Benson was born April 8, 1938 to William Taft Perry and Mary Louise Hill in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her early years were spent in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana as the family moved for work. She graduated from high school in Texarkana, Texas. Louise was an alumnus of Oklahoma State University and remained a lifelong Cowboy fan.

A true beauty inside and out, Louise participated in Texas pageants. She met Charles Benson while living in the Dallas area. They married on April 8th, 1961 and she began her tenor as a military wife. Two children were born of the union.

Louise moved to Central Florida in 1966. She lived in Daytona Beach and Orlando for the better part of 50 years. Vivacious and outgoing, she devoted herself to civic duties including time representing Volusia County on the Bicentennial Committee. She also served in leadership roles in the Palmetto Juniors, AAUW and the Women of the Moose.

As an educator, she taught primarily in English and the Arts. Louise worked with students from six to seventeen, demonstrating an unusual ability to develop a rapport with students of all ages and backgrounds. Her teaching began in Baltimore, Maryland with stints in Gainesville and Daytona Beach before ending her career with the Orange County Public Schools system.

Louise helped her husband Charles in various ways with his work. She provided key input in the layout and arrangement of illustrations in his first publication, Moonport, a five hundred page text recounting the history of the Kennedy Space Center and manned missions to the moon.

She also served as the head of the Officers’ Wives Club when Charles was stationed at Carlisle Barracks, Pa. Her work while in Pennsylvania included providing guided tours of New York City for the wives, both American and International, from the War College. Additionally, she earned a certificate during this time period from Johns Hopkins in book restoration which she immediately put to use.

Her artistic talents were abundant. While Louise dabbled in oil paintings, she will be remembered for her many crafts. From homemade Christmas ornaments to elaborate Halloween costumes for her grandchildren, Louise had a knack for making the holidays special. Known as The Queen of Halloween, she marked special occasions with flair and provided an added artistic touch to everyday functions.

After retirement, Louise and Charles enjoyed travelling on many cruises and cross country drives. They made it to all fifty states and visited all the state capitols. A favorite overseas trip was three weeks spent in the United Kingdom. Louise made many trips to Colorado to cheer her grandchildren on in their endeavors. “Granelu” never missed an important milestone.

Even as dementia began to take hold, her sunny smile remained. Her courage, emotional strength and adaptability were evident as she became wheelchair bound and moved to the care of Solaris Lake Bennet. Louise looked forward to the daily visits from Charles and other family members. Her favorite activities were arts and crafts and she loved her outings to Disney and various restaurants.

Louise Benson passed away on January 13, 2021. She was preceded in death by parents Bill and Louise, her brother Bill and son David. Louise is survived by her husband Charles, daughter Elizabeth and her husband, four grandchildren and one great- grandchild. Due to the pandemic, a memorial service and celebration of life will be held at a later date.