David Donald Benham

David Donald Benham passed into eternity on Saturday evening, April 4, 2026.
He was born in the winter of 1942 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, while his father was serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In his earliest years, David and his mother lived in Kiowa country near Saddle Mountain, Oklahoma, with his grandfather, Tonemah, and other family members. His first language was Kiowa, and his earliest memories were of listening to his mother, grandfather, and relatives tell Kiowa stories.
After his father returned from the war, David and his parents moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where the family became active members of Calvary Baptist Church. He attended Parker Elementary School and later Darby Junior High School.
Following a move to Van Buren, Arkansas, David attended Van Buren High School, where he played football under Coach Clair Bates. He had a particular interest in challenging subjects such as physics and chemistry. Although he did not always complete his homework, he nevertheless received an honorable mention from the National Merit Scholarship Program.
After graduating in 1960, David attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia for one semester before returning to Fort Smith. There, he worked full-time at Norge while simultaneously taking a full course load at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. He later transferred to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he completed his degree in 1965.
David began his professional life as a teacher at Raymond Orr Elementary School in Fort Smith, where he taught for two years. He then pursued seminary studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, earning a Master's degree in Religious Education in 1967. During this time, he also served as the pastor and worked in Indian mission ministry, which included members of 13 different Native nations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
David's next call was to serve as a missionary across a 10,000-square-mile area of the Navajo Reservation. There, he served as pastor to the Tuba City Baptist Church and worked with various tribes in Arizona and New Mexico, by primarily among the Navajo and Hopi nations. He served in this role for four and a half years.
David was subsequently invited to Phoenix, Arizona, where he ministered among diverse language groups. He later was invited to work at the headquarters of the Southern Baptists at the Home Mission Board and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, from where he traveled extensively throughout the United States, working in Native, Latin, Polish,, and other minority church communities.
After transferring to Church Extension, David focused on training leaders and helping to establish churches in underserved communities across the country.

David later earned a (DMin), Doctor of Ministry, degree in 1985 from Gateway Seminary in San Francisco.
In a later chapter of his life, David worked at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, where he administered funding programs supporting scientific research. He then returned to Arkansas to better care for his parents and family. While in Arkansas, he completed the necessary training and was ordained as an Episcopal priest.
As an Episcopal priest, David served at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Rogers, Arkansas, as well as at Christ Church Mena, Arkansas, and several other Episcopal congregations.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Hoyt Benham, Jr. and Ida Keisomah Tonemah Benham, and by one son, David Andrew Benham.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Jessie Angeline "Angie" (Evans) Benham; two brothers, James Benham and his wife Karen of Rogers, Arkansas, and Darrell Benham of Conway, Arkansas, Marilyn, his wife deceased; David is also survived by his daughter, Mary Benham of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and her husband, Brian Skelton. Survivors also include his son, Kedron Jay Benham of Lincoln, Arkansas. David is also survived by his cousins (but siblings in the Kiowa kinship tradition) Gwen McIntyre, Paula Tobah Johnson, and Will Tonemah.
David is also survived by six grandchildren: Celeste Jaime; Lorena Gonzalez Pereira (and her husband, Jaime Gonzalez); Rafael Jaime; Leslie Lierly (and her husband, Shawn Lierly); David Adair (and his wife, Jhada Adair); and Daniel Adair; and four great-grandchildren: Giselle Jaime, Eduardo Jaime, Rio Schuler, and Emiliano Pereira Jaime.
INVITATION
You are invited to attend the commitment of ashes in the columbarium immediately following the service inside Grace Episcopal Church, Siloam Springs, Arkansas. It will also be led by Grace's minister, Rev. Stan McKinnon. It is the belief of David's family that he would want everyone welcomed also to participate in the reception, held inside in the educational space/parish hall next to the courtyard where the commitment of ashes will occur. It will offer the best opportunity to speak to David's family. The reception is catered by the very able chef Dorothy Letellier and are no requests for donations.
When the commitment of ashes and reception have occurred, Go in peace.
Music led by Paul Whitley and the Grace Choir