John Allen Benjamin
July 12, 1938 - November 3, 2019

MADISON- John Allen Benjamin, age 81, of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin passed away on November 3, 2019 at University Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin. He was born on July 12, 1938, in Glencoe, Illinois, the son of Reuben Allen Benjamin and Meta Mayer Benjamin. He married Elizabeth Bolstad on December 21, 1963 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and they had two sons, Robert and Jeffrey.
John graduated from Dartmouth College in 1960 with a degree in physics.
As a young man, John was an avid rower, canoeist and hiker. He canoed the length of the Connecticut River, climbed mount Washington and Mount Moosilauke along with many other expeditions in the White Mountains and the Appalachians. As a father and Boy Scout leader, he was a patient and kind teacher and guide in the woods.
John received a Master of Science at the University of Minnesota in 1965. Soon after finishing his studies, he embarked upon a long and active career in nuclear physics, working at Yale University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory until his retirement in 2010.
John was a very sensitive, thoughtful, caring, loving and supportive husband and father. He was always available to talk and had a keen intellect and an impeccable memory for places and dates, events and people. He was very personable and enjoyed being with other people, being out in the world. He was very observant and approached the world with unabated openness and warmth. He loved life. We love him deeply and will miss him so very much.
John is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ellen Benjamin, two sons, Robert Allen Benjamin and Jeffrey Lee Benjamin and a sister, Elizabeth Anne Benjamin. They are grief-stricken at his passing, but find consolation knowing that they will see him again. We love you, Dad.

Tributes