OBITUARY FOR WALTER E BENNY JR
Walter Edward Benny Jr., 88, of Hatch, NM passed away on Father’s Day 2024 after developing pneumonia, which was severe due to other contributing health problems. Walter, also known as Ed by some family members, was born on December 16, 1935, in Panama City, Panama to his parents Walter Edward Benny and Margaret Philomena McConaghy Benny. His parents, grandparents, as well as his other maternal and paternal relatives, were living and working in the Panama Canal Zone, which was run by the United States government’s Panama Canal Company. His relatives were machinists, electricians, plumbers, and boilermakers who answered America’s call for workers to come to Panama to complete and operate the Panama Canal. The government successfully completed the canal at the narrowest point of the Americas in 1914. The Canal eliminated the need for most ships to sail around South America to get from the Atlantic Ocean side to the Pacific Ocean side and vice versa. Most workers came there seeking higher pay and standards of life. Some of his maternal and paternal relatives were Irish immigrants who came to Philadelphia and Brooklyn to escape the potato famine, only to find life in the US cities harsh as well. The Canal Zone offered the lure of higher pay and standards of life. Despite tropical heat, humidity and malaria, the Canal Zone was a utopia with new low rent government housing that included bigger homes for larger families, schools, theaters, swimming pools, cafeterias, commissaries, hospitals, and cruise ship transportation to the States every four years for everyone to allow family home visits. Walter’s father left public school after the third grade in the Canal Zone to join the Canal’s apprentice program. It is hard to believe that this was an acceptable route to take, even if it was a multiyear program. His father’s employment record includes a photo of him as a thirteen-year-old boy starting his first day of full-time employment. He supplemented his training by checking out math and engineering textbooks at the library. His father ultimately supervised the power plant at the Gatun locks and later the Miraflores locks. The locks were the system that moved the ships through the canal with lake water. This was a good position, but he still wanted his three children to have the education he did not have and to attend college.
Walter was the youngest child of the three. He had two sisters, Patricia Ann Benny Chappelle (Austin), born June 29, 1929, and Marie Genevieve “Dolly” Benny Housley (John Henry “Tunney”), born September 30, 1930. Walter attended elementary school in Balboa and Gatun, Canal Zone and junior high and 9th grade in Christobal, Canal Zone before completing high school in Balboa, Canal Zone. Then, after one college season of getting beat up on the practice squad of the Marquette University football team and one brutal winter attending class there in Milwaukee, WI, he picked the University of New Mexico at random from other warm weather schools for his sophomore year. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from UNM in 1957. He then obtained a draft deferment to obtain his master’s degree in education from the University of Florida at Gainesville in 1958.
Walter served two years in the Army starting with basic training in Fort Dix, NJ in 1958. Running in the snow led the tropic-raised man to suffer from a severe case of pneumonia with a long enough hospitalization to force him to stay for another round of basic training. He was ultimately assigned to Fort Gordon, GA, a Civil Affairs army base. The Civil Affairs division stepped in to reestablish order and govern areas that were taken over by American soldiers in times of conflict. The Army did put Walter’s education to use and had him prepare lesson plans to train soldiers on how to assist with the transfer of power, such as the procedures for exchanging the country’s monies or property for chit (vouchers). As Walter’s military service was coming to an end, he was not successful in finding a non-coaching history teaching position in Florida or the Canal Zone, his top choices. However, his commanding officer found a note from Hatch, NM on the base’s bulletin board. The school was looking for a history teacher with a master’s degree who was NOT a coach. He was hired over the phone and his C.O. arranged his discharge a few days early so he could make it to the first day of school. Walter taught in Hatch for thirty-nine years, made wonderful friends, met his wife in a serendipitous way and raised his family on a small pecan farm. He was a kind, generous husband and father who encouraged education and travel and ensured everyone’s needs (financial, medical, and educational) were met. We also inherited his love for reading. He read every night like his father.
Walter married Willie “Charlotte” Bullock on May 31, 1967, at St. Genevieve’s church in Las Cruces, NM and they had three children: Walter Edward Benny III aka Ben; Margaret Ellen Benny aka Margaret Charlotte Cornelia Benny and Patrick Howard Benny. Together, Charlotte and Walter also cared for his mother Margaret; his aunt May Frances Benny Smith’s husband George Smith; and his in-laws Cornelia Barham Bullock and Howard Arthur Bullock. Walter and Charlotte were married for 56 years.
Walter is survived by his children Ben Benny (Karen) of Whetstone, AZ and Margaret Benny of Hatch, NM; his cousins William Lee “Billy” Benny (Patricia) of Florida and Billy’s children Tricia Benny of Louisiana and Will Benny (Shea) of Alabama; Kathleen McConaghy Hingst (Larry) of North Carolina and her daughters Kristin Moore of North Caolina and children, Courtney Wilson (Richard) of Virginia and children; and Bill McConaghy (Sandy) of Guantanamo Bay; Karen McConaghy Wilson of Florida and her children; and second cousins Bob McConigle and Joe McConigle, both of Pennsylvania, and their sets of children. Walter’s surviving nieces and nephews include Mark Elliott Chappelle (Roberta) of Oregon and their children Joshua Chappelle and Nicole Chappelle; Patricia Ann “Patti” Housley of Florida and her children Chris Nichols and Lauren Jean Nunn; and Kay Housley Reno (John “Buddy”) of Texas as well as their children John aka Johnny Reno and Michael Reno. His nephew Clifford aka Cliff Austin Chappelle’s daughter Liam Chappelle Hastings of Arkansas and her children Trenton, Nicolas, and Sydney Hastings; and Cliff’s son Damian Rogers of Arkansas, and his wife and children also survive Walter.
His wife Charlotte’s siblings, nieces and nephews and cousins also survive Walter. His surviving brothers-in-law include (1) Leslie Arthur Bullock (Debbie) and their children Rev. Joshua Bullock (Ann Claire) and children Joseph, David, Caleb, Ethan, and Lila; Toby Bullock (Paige) and children Kylie, Gracie, Anna, and Tyler; and Aaron Bullock (Mica) and children Rome, Oliver, Artemus, and Flynn, all of Arkansas; and (2) John Samuel “Sammy” Bullock (Marla) and children Matthew, Sarah, and Daniel (Yessica) and daughter Josephine, all of Texas.
Walter’s surviving sister-in-law is Susie Bullock Stewart (Gary) along with her children Laura Kate Stewart Edwards (Jimmy) and her children Corbin, Grant, and Preston Edwards; and Lisa Jean Stewart Zachary (Preston), all of Arkansas.
Walter is also survived by Charlotte’s nephews Steven Glenn Mitchell (Janet) of California (son of Glenda Bullock Mitchell), as well as Casey Bullock (Tresha) of Illinois and children Taylor Bullock and Neal Bullock and families; Andy Bullock (Winona) and his children Colt, Jonah Oscar, Nolan, and Ulysses, all of Iowa; and Tim Dorsett (Judi) of Texas (sons of James Howard “Jimmy” Bullock).
Walter was predeceased by his wife, Willie Charlotte Benny; his son, Patrick Howard Benny; his parents, his grandparents William Lee Benny and Ellen Elizabeth “Nellie” Carmody Benny and Benjamin Davis McConaghy and Mary aka Marie Regina Sloman McConaghy; uncle William Lee Benny (Dorothy “Dot”) and May Frances Benny Smith (George), Benjamin Joseph McConaghy (Eunice), Mary Agnes McConaghy Wright (John), John McConaghy (Mathilda aka Tilly), George F McConaghy, James “Jimmy” McConaghy (Elaine) and Gertrude McConaghy Roberto(Domenick); nieces Teri Chappelle Gutierrez (Willie) and Jean Margaret Housley Mirabito (Michael)and nephews Clifford Austin Chappelle, Bruce William Chappelle and Kenneth Allen Chappelle. Walter was also predeceased by his cousins Benjamin McConaghy, Eunice McConaghy, John Wright, Marie Wright Gibson, Gertrude “Trudy” Wright, James “Jamie” McConaghy, Baby Boy McConaghy and Baby Boy Roberto.
Walter loved his adopted hometown and never wanted to leave it. Come Saturday, June 29th, he will have his funeral mass in his church, Our Lord of Mercy Catholic Church, starting with his Rosary at 9:30 a.m. He will then be buried in his family plot at Garden of Memories Cemetery, alongside his wife Charlotte, son Patrick and sister Pat.
We, the children of Walter Benny, thank all of his relatives, friends and the communities of Hatch and the Canal Zone for being a part of his imperfect, pleasant, happy life. Thank you, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, for filling Walter’s life with love, peace, spirit, and redemption.
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