Alan Earle Benson of Scottsdale passed away on Friday, Aug. 29, 2014, in American Fork, Utah, after a courageous battle with cancer. Services were held at the St. Johns Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday, Sept. 6, and he was buried with military honors at the St. Johns Cemetery.
Alan was born Dec. 28, 1936, in Worcester, Mass., the seventh child of Carl Iver Benson and Carrie Belle Earle Benson. He attended Tatnuck School, Sever Street Preparatory School and Westwood High School. He also attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, 1958-1962. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education from Arizona State University.
In 1970, he married Rauna Rae Platt. In 1971, the family moved to a farm near Hartville, Mo., where they built a home and raised beef cattle.
Alan taught math and geography at Mountain Grove High School from 1971-77, and taught earth science in night classes at Drury College. He served as vice principal at MGHS from 1977-90. Mr. B was principal of MGHS from 1990-95, supervising the reconstruction of a major part of the high school after the 1991 fire.
After retirement, Alan and Rauna took to the road in an RV and traveled all over North America, even working in campgrounds and also working at the Lawrence Welk Theatre in Branson, Mo. They served a Humanitarian Service Mission for the LDS church in Ningbo, China, 1996-98, teaching English to college and vocational students. In 2000-01, they went to Dalian, China, for Southwest Missouri State University to teach English at a branch campus. In 2006 they returned to Dalian to teach for one semester.
Survivors include his wife, Rauna of Scottsdale; six children, Ryan Hendrickson of Pahoa, Hawaii, Renee Neilsen Hawkes of Logan, Utah, Romy Boyce (Frank) of Maricopa, Raquel Hendrickson of Camp Verde, OT Benson (Julie) of Clarkston, Mich., and Carrie Pereyra (Hector) of Lehi, Utah; his siblings, Mildred Parsons, Lydia Groth and Donald Benson; 16 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; three siblings, Carl Ivar Benson Jr., Richard Tenney Benson and David Oscar Benson; and one grandchild.
Arrangements are being handled by Silver Creek Chapel Mortuary, 745 Paper Mill Rd., Taylor, Arizona.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Alan E. Benson Memorial Scholarship Fund. Contact Carrie Benson Pereyra at carriebelle77@comcast.net for more information.
