Benjamin G. Dann Jr.

Benjamin G. Dann Jr. of Coronado, Calif., formerly of Waverly, passed away Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at the age of 98. Born on Feb. 20, 1924, he was the son of Benjamin G. and Dorothy Colville Dann and grew up in Maplewood, N.J. His wife of 62 years is Jane Stafford Dann.

A portrait of stability and excellence, he lived a life of service and led by example. In 1942, during World War II, he left the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to enlist in the Army Air Corps to serve as a navigator on B24s and B29s. After the war, he returned to MIT where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1948. Later in life, he was an education counselor for MIT for 29 years.

After graduation, Ben was employed as plant engineer at Hendrick Manufacturing Company, founded by his great-grandfather Eli E. Hendrick in 1876 in Carbondale. He was named director of production in 1961, and was president and CEO from 1968 to 1987. As president, he oversaw the expansion of the company into San Francisco, Memphis and Owensboro, and the construction of a new facility in Carbondale in 1976, 100 years after the founding of the company. After retirement, he served for many years as chairman of the Board of Directors.

Ben was long active in business, civic and community activities in Lackawanna County. He served on the boards of the Johnson School, now Johnson College, the Third National Bank of Scranton, now Wells Fargo Bank, the Boy Scouts of America, Carbondale General Hospital, and was the first president of Steamtown National Historic Site's volunteer association. He was a member of many technical organizations, including the Industrial Perforators' Association, where he served as president. He was a member of the Clarks Summit Presbyterian Church and its boards of deacons and trustees.

Nature lover, avid reader, and airplane enthusiast, he shared his interests with his children while encouraging theirs. His love of nature began at Camp Chenango on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, N.Y., where five of his children also spent many summers. Their lives were deeply impacted by this unforgettable place. Ben was also interested in archeology, especially the Mayan culture and that of the Native American Southwest. In 1989, he drove around the Yucatán to visit Mayan ruin sites. On May 5, 2012, he and his son, David, flew on a restored Consolidated B24J Liberator in California. And on a few occasions, Ben took his grandchildren to air shows.

Also surviving are his children, Laura Barrett, Benjamin Dann Lander, William Dann, James Dann, Caroline Dann and David T. Dann; 10 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, David Phillips Dann; sisters, Dorothy Dann Collins Torbert and Christina Dann St. Clair; and his first wife, Ann Blackburn Dann.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Clarks Summit, 300 School St., Clarks Summit, 18411, or to a charity of the donor's choice.

Condolences to the family and memories of Ben may be sent to bendannjrinmemoriam@gmail.com.

Family will gather privately to honor and celebrate Ben. Interment will be at Hickory Grove Cemetery, Waverly.

Arrangements by Robert E. Decker Funeral Home, 702 River St., Peckville, PA 18452.