Benjamin B. Benigno

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin “B” Benigno, USAF (retired), 90, of Abilene, Texas passed away on February 16th, 2016 at a local hospital. Visitation will be 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, February 22, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene, with a rosary and prayer service to begin at 8 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23rd, at Holy Family Catholic Church with Father Fred Nawarskas officiating. Burial will follow, with Full Military Honors, at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene at 12 Noon. Arrangements are by The Hamil Family Funeral Home. Ben was born in Manhattan, New York to John and Mary Benigno on May 18, 1925. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He attended and later graduated from The Guggenheim School of Aeronautics at New York University and later completed his Master’s Degree at Abilene Christian University. He entered the Army Air Corps during World War II and flew missions in Europe in the B-17 as a Ball Turret Gunner between 1944 and 1945. He completed 35 combat missions. He married the former June Adele Floyd in Sacramento, CA on March 30, 1952. She preceded him in death on February 23, 2011. He was released from active duty in 1945, and subsequently returned to New York University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering in 1950 and received an ROTC Commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. Colonel Benigno served his country for nearly 36 years flying various aircraft during his career as a navigator. Having fought in WWII, Korea and Vietnam he was a highly decorated veteran who served throughout the world. He and his family traveled extensively as an Air Force family and resided in Sacramento, CA, Topeka, KS, Albuquerque, NM, San Antonio, TX, Tokyo, Japan, Las Vegas, NV, Hampton, VA, and Laurel, MD. Ben lived in Abilene for over 46 years, 1960-1963 and from 1973 to present. He retired at Dyess AFB in Abilene in 1978. After retirement he set out on his second career as an Industrial Engineer at West Texas Utilities (WTU) in the Marketing Department. He retired from WTU 19 years later. He and his beloved wife June were active members of the Holy Family Catholic Church and community. He served in the Better Business Bureau as an Arbitrator as well as being an active member of the Abilene Kiwanis Club. He was an avid photographer and an accomplished sketch artist. Colonel Benigno is survived by three sons, Chris and wife Ann of Tampa, Michael of Denver, and Bruce of Austin, two brothers Michael and Frank, six grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren, six nieces, four nephews and numerous cousins. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Zambia Mission, P.O. Box 3393, Abilene, TX 79604, Hospice of the Big Country, or Holy Family Catholic Church. The family of Colonel Benigno wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Sandra Hazelip, Dr. Dawson, the nurses and staff at Abilene Regional Medical Center and Hospice of the Big Country, and the many friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners of Holy Family Catholic Church. And we sincerely appreciate the love and spiritual support throughout from Mrs. Jane Hoff and Mrs. Bunny Benigno.