Justin "Ben" Victor Benguerel

Ben Benguerel, 83, passed away January 28, 2015, in Seattle, Washington. He was born July 7, 1931, in Oakland, California, to Louis August and Gladys Frances (Karnes) Benguerel. Ben served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War as a radar man. He married Ellen Nelson on November 18, 1950, in Seattle. Over the years, he worked as an iron worker, printer, and printing supervisor for the Boeing Company. The past year, he was a resident of Bonaventure in Lacey, Washington. Ben was a Renaissance Man, a “jack of all trades” who was a lifelong learner, teacher/mentor, a lover of books and movies, an adventurer, and collector of clowns, lighthouses and trivia. He was a prankster, wickedly funny, generous, loving, “benevolent,” and could also be sarcastic and a contrarian. He was a member of the Elks, VFW Post 318, Boeing Management Association, and the Boeing Klown Klub. He loved performing for charity as “Horsie the Clown” with the Boeing Klown Klub; riding his Honda motorcycle from Seattle to San-Diego and back just to say he did it; scuba diving among the relics of WWII in Guam; crossing off his bucket list the climbing of Mt. Rainier; listening to his favorite opera, Madame Butterfly; watching and playing at golf; taking his leaky boat out on opening day of trout season; working the boom for the hydroplanes at Seattle Seafair; making pancakes on the Coleman stove; camping with the Scouts; cheering on the Washington Redskins, Maryland Terrapins, and his beloved Chicago Cubs; umpiring Little and Pony League Baseball; running 10Ks and the Sound to Narrows Race; serving in the VFW 318 Color Guard; and spending time with friends and family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Ben is survived by his wife, Yvonne Ellen Benguerel; son, Mark Lawrence Bengerel and wife Elizabeth of Newark, California; daughters, Candis Marie Smith and husband Ken of Olympia, Laura Renee Brownfield of Griffin, Georgia, and Yvette Frances Tarlov and husband Michael of Bethesda, Maryland; ten grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by son, Derrick Louis Bengerel; son-in-law, Bruce Brownfield; brother, Jacques Louis Benguerel and sister-in-law, Pricilla (Reynolds) Benguerel. Memorial donations may be made to www.fisherhousevaps.org, or VFW Post 318. Please leave memories of Ben or condolences for his family in the Guestbook below.