Albert George "Ab" Benoit Jr.

PHOENIX - Albert "Ab" George Benoit, Jr., was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, on April 24, 1923, to Florence Hill Benoit and Albert George Benoit, Sr. He attended grade school at St. Edward's Catholic Grade School, graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1941 and attended the University of Idaho for one year.

In January 1943, he enlisted in the Army and attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He was particularly proud of climbing Pike's Peak for artillery training with the 10th Mountain Division. That was quite an accomplishment!

After basic training, he was shipped to LeHarve, France. Within days, he was in combat, fighting with the 365th Field Artillery Bn. 97th Infantry Division during what was one of the coldest winters in 50 years. Ab's division fought through France and across the Rhine into Germany. There, they fought the Battle of the Ruhr and supported the Battle of the Bulge with General Patton.

At the Czechoslovakian border in April 1945, they came upon the recently liberated concentration camp of Flossenburg. The American commanders ordered the troops to bear witness to the horrific scene, which was still filled with prisoners and evidence of atrocities committed there.

After the German surrender, the 97th returned home to train for a mainland assault on Japan. The assault turned into an occupation after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively ending the war.

After arriving in Yokohama Bay in October 1945, they boarded trucks and drove through Tokyo - a firebombed shell of a city - on their way to central Honshu to collect weapons and ammunition from soldiers and civilians.

His unit soon returned home and Ab was demobilized in February 1946.

Ab met the love of his life, Ruth Carlson, on a blind date in 1948 in Twin Falls, Idaho. They married May 25, 1948, and were together for 62 years. Ab and Ruth have four children: Stephanie of Boise, Idaho; Bruce of Hauser Lake, Idaho; Becky of Phoenix; and Dan of Miles City, Mont. They have six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He started his career with Farmer's Insurance Group in Billings in 1950, becoming a Branch Claims manager in 1958. Ab had a distinguished 30-year career with Farmer's until his retirement, and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the State of Montana Insurance Guarantee Association, a position he held for four years.

After retiring, Ab and Ruth spent many happy summers living on their boat, which they took to Lake Powell, Ariz., and Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, where they made good friendships at the "Vista Bay Beach Club."

In September 2008, Ab and Ruth moved to Phoenix to live with their daughter, Becky.

On the morning of Oct. 7, 2010, Ab passed away at the Arizona State Veterans Home.

Ab is survived by his wife, Ruth; children Stephanie (Tony), Bruce (Lynn), Becky and Dan (Katie); grandchildren Anna, Bryan, Zachary, Kastina, Emily and Dustin; great-grandchildren Miannah, Kiah, Gavin and Noah; sister Genevieve Van Dera and sister-in-law Donna Benoit. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Robert Benoit.

A Memorial Mass is being held at St. Francis Xavier in Phoenix next week. He chose to be cremated and his remains will be interred in the Veterans Cemetery in Boise at a later date.