Frederick Benger

Frederick John (John) Benger

March 12, 1933-March 17, 2015

It is with deep sadness but with great thankfulness for his life, that the family of John Benger announces his sudden death on March 17, 2015.
John was born in Coventry, England. During the Coventry blitz his family moved to Kenilworth, England where he attended school.
John served in the RAF, then became a mechanic for Kenilworth Council.  At 23 he married Barbara, the eldest daughter of Ernest and Phyllis(Godfrey) Nason of Benton Green, England.  In 1964 they came to Canada with their two children, Susan Barbara and Barry John.  
John worked as a journeyman mechanic specializing in Jaguar cars and for James Service in Saskatoon and then British Car Sales in Edmonton.  Barbara died of cancer in Edmonton.
At 39 John married his second wife, Joanne Marie, the eldest daughter of Jorgen Petrus and Rose (Kowal) Norgaard of Sunnybrook, Alberta.  In 1975 John and Joanne moved to a farm midway between Entwistle and Drayton Valley where they raised purebred Angus cattle, Arabian horses, LaMancha and Nubian goats, and Doberman and toy poodle dogs for the next 23 years.  They enjoyed going to goat shows and Joanne wrote “A Farm Wife’s Almanac” for Farm Light and Power.
In 1998 when John turned 65 they had a farm auction and moved to a lake cottage.  John concentrated on his two life-long hobbies.  He had raced motorcycles in England as a teenager and he bought a Nomad, then a Suzuki FJR sports motorcycle, and finally a black Boulevard.  He joined the Retreds and the UMCI and he and Joanne went motorcycle camping throughout western Canada and the U.S.   At the time of his death he was planning to buy a Spider.
John had made model airplanes all his life and continued to make and fly radio-controlled planes as a member of MAAC.
In winters John and Joanne enjoyed trips to England, Denmark and France.  In 2007 they moved into the town of Entwistle.
John is survived by his loving family, wife Joanne, two children Susan, in Canmore and Barry (Karolyn) in Seoul, Korea, three grandchildren, Colette (Jason) Nelson, Meganne Benger and Kelvin Benger, and two great grandchildren, Cole Nelson and Emily Nelson.  
The eldest of five children, John is survived by brother Tony Benger in Belfast, Ireland and two sisters, Jayne (Barry) Wilson of Sunderland, England and Jill and six nieces, Caroline, Tracy, Debbie, Lisa, Heidi, and Jade as well as numerous great-nephews and grandnieces.  He also leaves a host of other family and friends whom he loved.
John was predeceased by his parents, Frederick George and Gladys Irene (Smith) Benger, his stepmother Violet (Billsborough) Benger, his sister Valerie Williams and brothers-in-law Brian Williams and Peter Nason.
He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.
Funeral services to be held Wed. March 25, 1 p.m. at Evansburg Baptist Church 4804 48 Ave.  Interment at Entwistle Cemetery.  The family invites all to join them for fellowship and refreshments at Entwistle Seniors Center following the service.

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