Adele Elvira Benek

1927 - 2023

Our loving Mother, Adele Elvira (Nery) Benek, 96, gently passed away in her sleep Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, at her Newhaven Court at Clearview residence in Butler.
She was born to Hungarian immigrant parents Victor and Zusanna Nery, on Feb. 24, 1927, in Springdale, Pa.
Adele graduated from Springdale High School and started her career working for the Internal Revenue Service in Pittsburgh. She had a good head for business and supervised at various corporations in accounting or data processing. She retired from sales at Heckett Engineering in Butler.
While employed at the IRS, she met the love of her life, a handsome Greyhound bus driver, Lawrence James Benek. They were married in St. Mark's Lutheran Church, in Springdale Pa., on Aug. 28, 1948. After a few years together in Pittsburgh, the couple yearned for a quieter life, and they moved to the countryside in Zelienople. Here they raised three children along with animals, bees, fruit trees, berries and a huge vegetable garden.
Adele was a voracious reader, a captivating storyteller, beautiful piano player and excellent dancer. She loved to sing, competing with the Zelienople Sweet Adelines. Adele and Larry dreamed of having a log home in retirement, and built one on a creek in Mercer. When not at their log home, you would find them on road trips across the U.S. and Canada, camping in National and Provincial Parks enjoying nature and learning the history of the region.
Adele is survived by her sister, Alice (Nery) Grinder of Springdale, Pa.; her children, Lauren Jaye Quigley (Richard) of St. Augusta, Minn., Lawrence James Benek Jr. of Harmony and Jeffrey Lance Benek of Mercer; grandchildren, Joshua Donald Quigley (Shannon), Erika Addy Quigley, Logan Allan Quigley, Christopher John Benek (Natalie) and Meredith Aubree Benek; and granddaughter-in-law, Natalie L. Benek. She also has five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence J. Benek; her parents; four brothers and their wives, Ronald Nery (Ruth), Victor Nery (Margie), Carl Nery (Margaret) and Francis Nery (Mary Jane); brother-in-law, William Grinder; her daughter-in-law, Joyce (Boros) Benek; and her grandson, Aaron James Benek.
BENEK - A celebration of life for Adele Elvira (Nery) Benek, who died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, will be held later this year. We will notify family and close friends.
She was a wonderful, strong woman. We love and will miss you Mom!
Adele will be laid to rest beside her beloved Larry, husband of 66½ years, in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville.
Arrangements are by CUNNINGHAM FUNERAL HOME, 144 S. Pitt Street, Mercer.
For more information, please visit www.cunninghamfuneralhomeinc.com.