John Benham Spring

Spring, John Benham 80 Mar. 28, 1936 Jan. 14, 2017 John Benham Spring, 80, died Saturday of complications from prostate cancer and Alzheimer's at his home in Gearhart. His partner of 49 years, Susan Spring, was by his side. John was born in 1936, to Ethel Benham and John Denison Spring in Nashua, N.H. Known to childhood friends and neighbors as "Jack," he graduated Nashua High School in 1953, and was a member of the Dartmouth College class of 1957. He served in the Marine Corps from 1957 to 1967, achieving the rank of Captain while in the Marine Reserve. He completed officer training school at Quantico and served at Camp Pendleton. He received his MBA from Dartmouth's Tuck School in 1961. In 1962, he married Julie Dubois, and Jessica Spring was born in 1964. The couple divorced in 1966. John received his Certified Public Accountant certification and worked at Price Waterhouse in San Francisco from 1961 to 1970. In 1967, has was traveling for work on a nearly empty airplane from San Francisco to Portland and chose a seat next to his future wife, Susan Kloster. They were married on March 29, 1969, in Milwaukie, Ore. John took a position as an internal auditor for Ford Motor Company and the couple moved to Detroit, where they started their family and established many lifetime friendships. John's finance career took the family to several U.S. cities, and he served as Chief Financial Officer at National Car Rental in Minneapolis and Household International in Chicago. He was a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Finance Executives Institute. An avid cyclist, John biked the Scottish Hebrides and California coast, and he and his brother, David, rode the perimiter of Hawaii's big island. He was also an avid runner, finishing the Twin Cities marathon for this 50th birthday. An unabashed Francophile, John often visited Paris and the surrounding regions by foot, bicycle and barge to savor the food, wine, language, and hospitality that seemed to follow him everywhere. Upon retiring at 57, John and Susan returned to the west coast and created a vibrant home in the Oregon coast town of Gearhart. They welcomed extended family and multitudes of friends to play baseball in the backyard "Spring Field," roast s'mores, walk the estuary, watch outdoor movies and partake in Oregon wine and razor clams, all with the constant companionship of their Labrador Retrievers. Always game for new projects and new friends, John served as treasurer on the board of governors for the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis. He was a member of the board of trustees for the Oregon Episcopal School and served as treasurer for the Friends of Chamber Music, both in Portland. He served on the vestry of Grace Episcopal Church in Astoria, and Calvary Church in Seaside, and supported the Astoria Music Festival, Liberty Theater, and the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. Just as he loved to carefully score baseball games since he was a young boy, John found great pleasure in accounting and enthusiastically shared his time and expertise to countless friends, family members, and anyone in need of a good "tax man" come April. John is survived by his wife and constant companion, Susan; four daughters and their partners, Jessica Spring and Tim Allen of Tacoma, Wash.; Katie Spring and Jim Berke of Chicago; Tupper Spring and Paolo Benzan of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; and Margaret Spring and Yann Giguere of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and brother and sister-in- law, David and Tina Spring of San Francisco. "Grandpa Jack" and his slow underhand pitch, passionate love of ice cream, and gentle reading voice will be remembered fondly by his grandchildren, Jack Allen, Margo, Eleanor and Patrick Fuchs, Luciana, Eva and Enzo Benzan; and his ever loyal black Labradors, Cleopatra and Penelope. A memorial concert with the Florestan Trio and a luncheon for family, friends, caregivers, neighbors and all who wish to say goodbye to John will be held at 1 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2017 at Bridgewater Bistro, 20 Basin Street, Astoria. Private graveside services will be held in Nashua on March 18, 2017 followed by a gathering of friends and family at 5 Cross Road, Hollis, N.H. at noon.