Obituary for Peggy Benning
Margaret “Peg/Peggy” Benning died peacefully at her home in Longmont, CO on April 22, 2022. She was 96.
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Peggy lived in many states throughout her life: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Georgia, California and Colorado, to name a few. She graduated from Syracuse University with a major in music, was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and performed in many concerts there. After college, Peg returned to Reading to work in a local music store where she purchased her beloved grand piano which followed her everywhere she lived.
While growing up in Pennsylvania, summers and weekends were spent on the family farm. Peg was very close to bother her mother’s and father’s families and enjoyed many family reunions and holidays on the farm. Peg and her family moved to Dover, NJ nearer to her father’s engineering job where Peg graduated from Dover High School. She met her husband of 55 years, Ted Benning, in high school and together they had many high school friends who all remained close during their lifetime. Peg was very mathematical with the highest of aptitude scores during high scholl. She worked in the Boston shipyards for one college summer during the World War II.
After returning to NJ, Peggy earned her NJ substitute teaching certificate and substituted in local elementary schools for many years. Peggy’s main passion was teaching private piano lessons and music theory to the local children. Peg became active in the community, was president of the Women’s Republican Club and assisted Ted with his town Councilman position. They were both active at the Morris Plains Presbyterian Church. She was a caretaker of family members, neighbors and friends, including her father-in-law and both of her parents. Peg belonged to several bridge clubs and was a New Jersey Symphony supporter and fundraiser.
She and Ted retired to Colorado 25 years ago to be close to their son and family. She loved vacations to the “Jersey Shore” especially Cape May, NJ where she and Ted honeymooned, her brother lifeguarded, and where the family vacationed for years, including a long 50th wedding anniversary weekend.
Peg was predeceased by her husband Ted and Is survived by her three children Meg, Ted and his wife Frankie and Pam and her husband Rob; her grandchildren Rebecca and her husband Russell, Brian and his fiancée Christy and Thomas and his wife Katherine and her two adorable great-grandchildren Jake and Claire.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 1:30 pm at the Van Horn-McDonough Funeral Home, 21 York Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530.
Donations in Peg’s memory may be made to the New Jersey Symphony, 60 Park Place, Suite 900, Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 735-7123/njsymphony.org; or to Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Fund; contact Doreen Morelli Henson (888) 352-9535/GiftPlan@syr.edu.
With each donation please indicate that your gift is in memory of Margaret Landis Benning and that the family should be notified of donations at: Pam Pitts, 15 York Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530.
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Peggy lived in many states throughout her life: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Georgia, California and Colorado, to name a few. She graduated from Syracuse University with a major in music, was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and performed in many concerts there. After college, Peg returned to Reading to work in a local music store where she purchased her beloved grand piano which followed her everywhere she lived.
While growing up in Pennsylvania, summers and weekends were spent on the family farm. Peg was very close to bother her mother’s and father’s families and enjoyed many family reunions and holidays on the farm. Peg and her family moved to Dover, NJ nearer to her father’s engineering job where Peg graduated from Dover High School. She met her husband of 55 years, Ted Benning, in high school and together they had many high school friends who all remained close during their lifetime. Peg was very mathematical with the highest of aptitude scores during high scholl. She worked in the Boston shipyards for one college summer during the World War II.
After returning to NJ, Peggy earned her NJ substitute teaching certificate and substituted in local elementary schools for many years. Peggy’s main passion was teaching private piano lessons and music theory to the local children. Peg became active in the community, was president of the Women’s Republican Club and assisted Ted with his town Councilman position. They were both active at the Morris Plains Presbyterian Church. She was a caretaker of family members, neighbors and friends, including her father-in-law and both of her parents. Peg belonged to several bridge clubs and was a New Jersey Symphony supporter and fundraiser.
She and Ted retired to Colorado 25 years ago to be close to their son and family. She loved vacations to the “Jersey Shore” especially Cape May, NJ where she and Ted honeymooned, her brother lifeguarded, and where the family vacationed for years, including a long 50th wedding anniversary weekend.
Peg was predeceased by her husband Ted and Is survived by her three children Meg, Ted and his wife Frankie and Pam and her husband Rob; her grandchildren Rebecca and her husband Russell, Brian and his fiancée Christy and Thomas and his wife Katherine and her two adorable great-grandchildren Jake and Claire.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 1:30 pm at the Van Horn-McDonough Funeral Home, 21 York Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530.
Donations in Peg’s memory may be made to the New Jersey Symphony, 60 Park Place, Suite 900, Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 735-7123/njsymphony.org; or to Syracuse University, College of Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Fund; contact Doreen Morelli Henson (888) 352-9535/GiftPlan@syr.edu.
With each donation please indicate that your gift is in memory of Margaret Landis Benning and that the family should be notified of donations at: Pam Pitts, 15 York Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530.