Benjamin F. "Ben" McLaurin Jr.

"Ben"

Benjamin F. McLaurin, Jr.

LTC (Ret.), U.S. Army Benjamin F. McLaurin, Jr., LTC (Ret.) U.S. Army, known as Ben, was born on January 29, 1942 in Yazoo City, Mississippi to the late Benjamin F. McLaurin, Sr. and Sezzle M. McLaurin. He departed this life on Monday morning, December 7, 2009, at Potomac Hospital, Woodbridge, Virginia.

Ben was educated in the Coahoma County schools and graduated from Coahoma County Agriculture High School, Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1959. In 1963, he graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor's degree in Entomology. In 1965, he received a Master's degree in Entomology.

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1965. His career spanned over 25 years, with assignments in Korea, Vietnam, Germany and several CONUS assignments; he received numerous achievement awards, citations, decorations and medals throughout his career. In 1990, Lieutenant Colonel McLaurin retired from Army Medical Command as a Medical Entomologist.

He began his civilian career in 1992, as an Entomolgist with the Prince William County Environmental Science Division and remained in this position until July 2009.

Ben's loving memory will be cherished by his devoted wife, Mary, of Lake Ridge, Virginia; one son, Kevin M. McLaurin; one daughter-in-law, Kimmie McLaurin; two grandsons, Matthew and Sean, of Adamstown, Maryland; one brother, Johnnie W. McLaurin, of Altadena, California; one aunt, Jessie Ruth Willis, of Springfield, Massachusetts; his mother-in-law, Mildred Porter, of Cheraw, South Carolina; also left to cherish his memory are four brothers-in-law and their wives; Robert L. Porter (Carolyn) of Cheraw, S.C.; Benjamin Nuriddin (Sandra), of Charolotte, North Carolina; Richard K. Porter, of Cheraw, S.C.; Harold V. Porter (Ann) of Cheraw and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at Old Bridge United Methodist Church of Lake Ridge, Va. Visitation is at Noon; service will be held at 1 p.m. Interment with full military honors will be held December 22, 2009 at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, in memory of Benjamin F. McLaurin, Jr., online or at this address: 124 Park Street, S.E., Vienna, VA 22180, 703-938-5500. Please send condolences to the family via

www.mountcastle.net.





This obituary was originally published in the News & Messenger (Woodbridge, VA).