Mrs. Lillian F. Benson

Lillian Benson (nee Fowler) passed away on May 29, 2023 at the age of 88 in Towson, Maryland. She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Franklin Benson Jr. and her loving parents David and Florence Fowler. She is survived by her cherished children Kathryn Benson (Michael Hinkey) and Franklin (Mary) Benson III; loving grandchildren Christopher Hinkey (Michelle), Robyn Dammers (Scott), Sarah Benson, Franklin (Ben) Benson IV, and Lily Benson; and great-grandchildren Scott Dammers Jr., Ava Dammers, and Madison Hinkey. Friends may call at Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Home on Friday June 2, 2023 from 7-9 PM. Services will be held at Idlewylde United Methodist Church on Saturday June 3, 2023 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers please make donations in Lillian’s name to Idlewylde United Methodist Church, 1000 Regester Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21239. Lillian May Fowler was born March 1, 1935 in Upper Darby, Delaware County Pennsylvania Her mother and father both passed away while she was a young child. She was raised by her grandmother “Nanna”, her great aunt Isabell and great uncle Albert and grew up in Alden Pennsylvania She excelled and was a model student throughout her school years in Pennsylvania including Jr high school where she was member of many clubs (including the library club, music club where she was president, student council, athletic association, chorus, Try-Hi where she was secretary and she was sports editor for the “Peptimist” which was the school newspaper In Jr. High she amazingly played varsity basketball at the towering height of 4’11”. And she even won an award for runner up in free throw shooting. She also member of the field hockey team In her town of Alden, as a young adult, she was crowned May Queen for the town’s May Day Celebration. The newspaper recording of the event said that Lillian Fowler was a charming and popular little blonde who was elected by the students of her junior high school to reign as the queen of May that year. Lillian attended Landsdowne High School where she was on the undefeated field hockey team, she worked on costumes for the school plays, was a member of the French club, scribblers club, and bowling club, was on the staff of the yearbook, was class secretary, and was inducted into the honor society. After high school Lillian was fortunate to attend Western Maryland College, now, McDaniel College, where she was active in the Phi Alpha Mu Sorority and was member of the field hockey team. She made many lifelong friends at the college, notably Ginny and Charlie Phipps, and of course the notorious troublemaker Franklin Murray Benson Jr. Western Maryland was not only significant to Lillian and Frank but to many other members of the Benson clan (including Franklin Murray Benson “Senior”, Dad’s cousins, my sister, and Kathy and my cousins) As noted, prior, Lillian and her husband Frank met at Western Maryland College, and it was through their friends Charlie and Ginny. Some say Frank majored in playing poker among other non-scholarly subjects during his initial years at Western Maryland and his grades initially showed it (as archived by a college report card Lillian saved in her box of records). His grades improved in his last years of college which was most likely attributable to dating Lillian. After Frank’s time in the army which included a stint on Eniwetok Island in the Pacific he was honorably discharged, Lillian and Frank finally settled back into the suburbs of Baltimore and Frank went on to law school and Lillian started to raise a family which consisted of bringing a daughter Kathy and son Frank the 3rd into this world. Lillian became the typical homemaker of the 1970’s and where the family spent time together in the evenings watching black and white TV. While raising us she eventually started teaching pre-school at Govans Presbyterian which continued for about 5 years and then she moved on to teaching at another pre-school some period of time. Eventually she went on to get her Masters in early childhood education at Towson State College and in her retirement years she worked at Baltimore County Public Library for about 10 years Both Lillian and Frank joined Idewylde United Methodist church on July 22, 1962. A document was found after her passing that showed Lillian was baptized four years later at this very church. Both Lillian and Frank were very active in the church and on most Sundays, you would find Lilian in the second pew on the left and Frank in the choir. Lillian and Frank both loved this church like it was like their second home, and after Frank passed Lillian continued to worship at UMC regularly. The people they both met at Idewylde United Methodist soon became not only their friends but part of their extended family. Lillian’s favorite passion was reading. She loved books. She also enjoyed reading the daily newspaper. She really loved to dine out as it was an escape from her having to cook. She loved celebrating with her extended Benson, Medinger, and Paulson family. She loved sweets which unfortunately most likely led to her diabetes. Frank would buy her boxes of chocolates for certain holidays, and she was known to tear through them in short order. She enjoyed sitting on her side porch spring through fall and just generally loved to be outdoors. She also loved to travel. She was extremely fortunate to get to go to Europe on a river cruise with her daughter and son-in-law and she enjoyed visiting her son and daughter-in-law on the west coast. And of course, she loved the annual trips to Ocean City (and later at daughter and son-in-law’s Bethany Beach home) with her family where she routinely put up with going down to the noisy packed boardwalk where Frank played pokerino at Marty’s Playland with his kids and grandkids, playing miniature golf, and sitting on the beach under her umbrella while enjoying a good book. Lillian loved her husband dearly however, she did tolerate a great deal during her life from him including putting up with him fun lovingly calling her various nicknames, enduring his sarcasm, and sometimes being the brunt of his practical jokes. She was the gentle loving Matriarch of one branch of the Benson family tree and her family was really her whole life (and perhaps family meant so much to her because she lost her parents at such an early stage in her life). She absolutely loved celebrating her family’s lives and their accomplishments. Lillian was a kind and loving person who would never ever think of hurting another sole on this planet. She never used foul language. She was very punctual (and in fact recommended to people to be at the airport three hours ahead of time), she was beyond considerate, and never complained. She was a great wife, mother, friend, and Christian and her whole family loved her. I believe in the end she felt very appreciative and fortunate to have had big family that loved her and that she was able to live a long and wonderful life.

Mrs. Lillian F. Benson

March 19, 1935 - May 29, 2023