Oren Lee Benton

Oren Lee Benton, an entrepreneur of Colorado who was known across the world for the impact he made and the people's lives he touched, died on May 19, 2006 in Greenwood Village, Colorado after a three-year battle with cancer. Born in Oto, Iowa on March 10, 1934, Oren lived most of his life in Colorado. After serving in the Army and then graduating from University of New Mexico in 1957 with a bachelor's in accountancy, Oren had a 20-year career (1957-1976) as a CPA and tax partner with the accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co. in Denver, Colorado, and Omaha, Nebraska. He then operated for approximately 10 years as an independent entrepreneur and consultant. Starting in the late 1980s, he built a worldwide diversified portfolio of approximately 50 operating companies that employed several thousand people in 20 offices around the world. The portfolio included Denver-based NUEXCO, which until its bankruptcy in 1995, was the largest uranium trading operation in the world. The family of companies also included mining operations in uranium, gold and other minerals on several continents, a leading Colorado Springs-based semi-conductor memory development and manufacturing company and other technology development companies, commercial banks, mortgage, leasing and financial companies, real estate interests, and a number of other public and private trading and service businesses. His most public investment was a significant ownership interest in the Colorado Rockies National League Baseball franchise. Not one for retirement, at the age of 61, Oren engaged in activities such as representing himself in legal issues related to the bankruptcy and helping develop Rockies Global Marketing, L.L.C. which specializes in the direct marketing of high-quality power tools. In addition to his wife, Beverly (Coon) Benton, Oren is survived by his daughters and sons-in-laws, Julia and Patrick Miller, Cynthia and William DePuy, Nancy and Kevin Jordan, Suzanne and Steve Mulligan, Jennifer and Todd Lacey, and Jill and Brian Andrews; his grandchildren Theodore DePuy, Kayla DePuy, Charles DePuy, Amanda Miller, Kristen Miller, Christopher Mulligan, Henry Mulligan, Elizabeth Mulligan, Janna Arenas, Jamie Arenas, Jenelle Arenas, Paige Lacey, Alexander Lacey, and Kyle Andrews; sisters and brothers Donna Stratton, Maurine Becker, Keith Benton, Clara Bolte, and Vera Collins. Oren was preceded in death by his parents Bernice and Edward Benton and his brother Wayne Benton. Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 at Greenwood Community Church (5600 E. Belleview Ave., Greenwood Village, CO 80111). A reception will immediately follow the service at the church. A family service and burial will take place in Iowa on Friday, Sept. 26. Donations may be made in Oren's memory to the Colorado Cancer Research Program. Please mail or call in donations to: 2253 South Oneida Street 3rd Floor, Suite B Denver, CO 80224, or (303) 777-2663 or toll-free (888) 785-6789. Please designate on your donation "Made in Memory of Oren L. Benton."