Alfred David Benjamin March 13, 2025

BENJAMIN, Alfred David of Canton, MA passed away after a very long and productive life on March 13, 2025 just shy of his 101 birthday.  He was the devoted husband of Lorraine Benjamin (z”l) for 74 incredible years, loving father of Ross (Midge), Cary (Susan), and Evan (Kristen), grandfather of Amalie (Daniel), Hallie, Jessica (Christopher), Samuel (Brooke), Ari (Katherine) and Rose (Julian), and great grandfather of Elliott, Reid, Blake, Evangeline, Cameron and Lily.

Born over a hundred years ago on March 31, 1924 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Samuel and Rose Benjamin, he lived in Dorchester, Newton and Mashpee, MA, and in South Palm Beach, FL.  He was predeceased by his brothers Joseph and Herbert, and shared special relationships with his sister-in-law Micky Winn, nephew Steve Winn (Lesley), niece Sharon Quigley (Ken z”l), and cousins Joseph (Ruth) and Jeffrey (Betsy) Benjamin, and Paula Rosput Reynolds (Steve).

Alfred led a storied life, enlisting during World War II in the Aviator Cadet Corps and was  among the youngest officers commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps.  He flew 31 missions as a B-17 navigator and was shot down over Belgium, earning the Purple Heart for his 13^th mission.

After the war, he leveraged his insatiable curiosity, along with his ability and confidence, to become a self-taught entrepreneurial engineer/tradesman with a broad portfolio that was perfect for the times.

In the early 50s, he disassembled his parents’ newfangled television receiver and studied electronics books to figure out how to help consumers repair their new television sets.  This resulted in a business that lasted until the solid-state revolution.

In the mid 50s, he saw that pre-fab homes were a possibility, so he and Lorraine designed one, built it as the general contractor, and lived in it for 44 years.

In the 60s, he bought into a communications business that had him producing industrial films, videos, radio commercials, and slide and multi-image programs and worked tirelessly for 40 years, while bringing two of his sons into the business.

After retirement, he kept sharp by his interests and avocations:  building grandfather clocks in his wood shop, assembling an impressive HO train set, assisting wife Lorraine in framing scores of canvases of her oil and acrylic paintings, running bingo games, and following his beloved Boston Red Sox, who rewarded him in 2004 with their World Series victory.

His 2017 theatrical play, “In the Dark of the Night” was based upon a poem he wrote at war in 1944, and was produced and directed by him twice to rave reviews. His book “Change” about the difference in life between 1924 and 2024 remains unpublished.

And all this was accomplished while presiding over a growing family which sought his counsel and love at every turn, and who adored the example he continually set for them.  He was the loving fixer, the wise sage, and the animated storyteller with a phenomenal memory of the people he loved and the eras he had lived through.

A funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 16 at 1:00 pm at the Chapel at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon with burial to follow.  Shiva will be held at Orchard Cove, 1 Del Pond Drive, Canton, MA from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and at the homes of Ross and Midge on Monday, March 17 from 6:30-8:30 pm and Evan and Kristen on Tuesday, March 18 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

Donations in memory of Alfred may be made to Hebrew SeniorLife, https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/giving or The National WWII Museum, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/give