Claire K. Benjamin

Claire K. Benjamin Claire K. Benjamin (nee Bone), CPA, MSc, MBA, age 60, and Chief Financial Officer of Volunteer Florida passed away Friday, August 14th 2009 in Tallahassee after a yearlong battle against ovarian cancer. The viewing will begin at 9 a.m. EDT on Saturday August 22nd 2009, at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, 1405 Melvin St., Tallahassee, FL 32301, with service to follow at 11 a.m. EDT. Mrs. Benjamin was born August 24th 1948 in Georgetown, Guyana, where she met and married Colin, her husband of 34 years. Together they led a rich life filled with a passion for learning and a love for helping others. Mrs. Benjamin was a devoted mother, an accomplished professional, a dedicated public servant and a loyal friend. Her unyielding courage and positive attitude in the face of her difficult fight with cancer was an inspiration to many. Professionally, Mrs. Benjamin had broad international experience in accounting and finance, implementing accounting information systems, and consulting in taxation in both developed and developing countries. Mrs. Benjamin served as an adjunct faculty member at several universities in the USA including University of Missouri-Rolla, Drury College, Flagler College, Tallahassee Community College and Florida A&M University, and also conducted business management training for professionals in developing countries. She specialized in non-profit organizations and the health care sector in the USA, starting with the Mercy Medical Group in St. Louis, Missouri. After moving with her family to Tallahassee, Florida in 1995, Mrs. Benjamin went on to hold the Chief Financial Officer position at Big Bend Hospice, Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend, and The Governor's Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Volunteer Florida). Mrs. Benjamin had a great love of reading and plants, and was a dutiful member of St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church where she was a member of the Vestry, Episcopal Church Women and Altar Guild. She was also devoted to helping the less fortunate and took great pride in being a weekly contributor for the WFSU Radio Reading Service for the Blind. Mrs. Benjamin is survived by her three sons, Kareem of Dallas, TX, Zaheer of Orlando, FL, and Jamaal of Dallas, TX; father, Louis of Guyana; four siblings, Bonita of Guyana, Louis of Sacramento CA, George of Washington DC, and Lois of Tallahassee, FL; and numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Big Bend Hospice, an organization that Claire cared about and worked with for many years. Donations can be made online at http://www.bigbendhospice.org/giftnow.html.