Paulette Alma Benson

Paulette Alma Smith Benson made her entrance on June 17, 1953. A twin, she was born to John Hertie Smith and Doris (Smith) Smith at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She passed away in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 16, 2025, surrounded by friends and hand in hand with her devoted husband, Lindsay.

A high-spirited, confident child with a sense of personal fashion and presence, she joined the family "business" of politics and service to the community. She attended Hally Elementary, Post Junior High, and Mumford High School in Detroit, the University of Michigan, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Clayton State University.

She was baptized at St. Stephen African Methodist Episcopal Church. Ballet, skiing, fishing, and camping in Canada, and working the polls every election, shaped her childhood. She represented the Girl Scouts USA in Mexico, and she played the oboe.

Paulette and Lindsay Allen Benson of Detroit, Michigan, met in the Engineering Department at the University of Michigan and were married on December 30, 1978. They celebrated their anniversary and welcomed the New Year for 46 years.

The duo advanced their careers and traveled extensively. An engineer, she helped build Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and worked for Georgia Pacific and Norfolk Southern Railroad. Lindsay's career with Ford Motor Company included the position of plant manager for six years in Malaysia. She was also a real estate agent.

A prominent and active citizen of Norfolk, she worked tirelessly in voter registration, hosted fundraisers for political candidates for the State Senate, the mayor of Norfolk, and the Norfolk City Council, and ran for the Norfolk City Council. She was a member of the NAACP, the Urban League, and the Cosmopolitan Club of Norfolk.

One of her greatest pleasures was serving on the Norfolk Botanical Garden's President's Council on Inclusion and Diversity (PCID) committee. Paulette was initiated into the Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in 1974. As a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, she held various positions and worked on numerous committees. In 2024, Paulette was recognized as a Golden Soror with 50 years of service.

Paulette was preceded in death by her father, John Hertie Smith, Sr. She is survived by her husband, Lindsay Allen Benson; her mother, Doris Smith; siblings, Cassandra Fay Smith, Paula Bruce, Doryne (Verlon) Penamon, and John Hertie (Carolyn) Smith, Jr.; aunt, Reverend Betty Middlebrook; niece and nephews, Travis Bruce, Jacqueline Smith, Marcus Smith and Malcolm Smith; God daughter, Stephanie Slaughter; many cousins; and special friends, Denise Williams and Joyce Sample. Thoughtful and bubbly; gracious and tenacious; opinionated; never duplicated. The toughest man you will ever meet is a girl from Detroit. Paulette, you will forever be in our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Norfolk Botanical Garden Works Progress Administration (WPA) Memorial Garden. http://Norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/explore/our-gardens/wpa-memorial-garden.