Shirley Benson's Obituary
Shirley Benson, 99, of Tampa, Florida, passed away on October 15, 2024. She was born in Tampa on January 13, 1925, to Edwin and Marina Rogers and spent her formative years in Limona (now known as Brandon), Florida. A descendant of Spanish and Cuban immigrants, her extraordinarily long and fulfilling life represented the American Dream. She was the eldest of three girls, raised in a working-class home during the Great Depression. She graduated from Sacred Heart School, and on June 21, 1942, at the age of 17, she married Jo Gumecindo Frausto. After the passing of her first husband, Shirley ultimately remarried Dell Stewart Benson in Pinellas County, Florida, on March 1, 1951.
The consummate military wife twice over, Shirley lived on military bases all over the United States, including Boise, Idaho (Mountain Home AFB), Denver, Colorado (Lowry AFB), Tampa, Florida (MacDill AFB), Tucson, Arizona, (Davis-Monthan AFB), and Shreveport, Louisiana (Barksdale AFB), as well as overseas at the RAF Station in New Market, England, where she made her home from 1954 through 1961. When Shirley was in her 60s and 70s, she worked alongside her long-time friend Charlotte at the Hillsborough Community College bookstore.
During her youth, Shirley excelled in dancing, bowling, and cooking. Moreover, she was an avid sports enthusiast throughout her life. She persevered through immense hardships, working hard and sacrificing to raise six children. As a proud military spouse, she buried two husbands and a daughter, lived abroad, and remained a resilient and devoted family matriarch well into her 90s. Even in her later years, she made friends easily. She played bridge weekly. Her door was always open and a pot of coffee ready for anyone who might drop by. Most of all, she cherished moments with family and enjoyed hosting grand Christmas Eve celebrations.
Shirley is survived by her children: Alan Benson (Sherry), Roger Benson (Aileen), Terri Benson, Chet Benson, Bryan Benson (Sabrina); her grandchildren Raymond Petrus II (Michele), Ronald Petrus (Cynthia), Dana Jung (Bryant), Stacy Houston (Paul), Alan Benson Jr., John Roger Benson (Jessica), Trevor Benson, Stephen Benson, and Zach Benson; her sister Edwina Carter; her sister-in-law Carolyn Gaylord Benson; twelve great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents Edwin Lee Rogers and Marina Fernandez Rogers; her sister Lydia V. Martin; her husbands Joseph G. Frausto and Dell S. Benson; her companion Norman Swope; and her daughter Leslie Jo Petrus.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Shirley's memory to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay https://humanesocietytampa.org/.
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