It is a great honor to speak on behalf of my uncle. Uncle Harry back in 2006 very graciously presented a eulogy on behalf of my mom, Rosemarie Beno Groat, who passed away at age 68 from a very tragic battle with lung cancer. All of us here must have faith that uncle Harry and my mom are now with God in a better place. My uncle was a great man that has always been my #1 role model throughout my lifetime, and I truly believe has been the role model for hundreds of people. I always thought of him like a second father, and this bond grew even more during the summer I lived with him while attending Buffalo State College. Harry had a great passion for life and was completely devoted to his family and wife – my aunt Charlene for 55 incredible and passionate years.
Harry Beno had a humble beginning in life, growing up in the small town called Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, in a modest rural home that was located across the creek from the center of town. His mom and dad, Anne and Paul Beno were known to be very traditional second generation Hungarians, however provided Harry and my mom the freedom to explore what life had to offer. Those kids were definitely not sheltered! One day Harry was not looking after his sister, Rosemarie, while she was trying to teach herself how to chop wood in the backyard shed, and accidentally cut off the tip of her thumb with an axe. Mom and Dad were very angry!
Music, sports, family, friends and his faith in Jesus Christ were a major part of his youth. While growing up he attended Mass every Sunday where his passion for theology grew. Harry’s interests were quite diverse, and he did not only learn how to play the trumpet, but he was also a real jock, and was very motivated by baseball, football and basketball. And was wise enough as a teen to leave golf out of the picture until 30 years down the road. And let me tell you, we golfed together about 15 years ago in North Tonawanda, and he was so good that he just ended up giving me a golfing lesson.
During his late teens Harry left home for several years to further explore his faith in God and decided to enroll into Seminary School. Ultimately, however, he decided not to become a Priest and chose a different path.
The path he decided to take eventually led him to the Lutheran school called Thiel College, located in Greenville, Pennsylvania. Luckily, for Uncle Harry’s sake, Thiel College required the students to sit alphabetically; otherwise, perhaps Beno and Benson would have never met and got married. If you ever have the opportunity to take a look at their wedding pictures you will see that Harry and Charlene had to have been the most attractive couple in all of Pennsylvania by the looks of their “Hollywood looking Glamour pictures.”
Uncle Harry had a tremendous affection for knowledge, education, theology and helping others, which lead him to Syracuse University where he earned his PHD in Administration. His career in education started in his mid twenties when he taught English at Cazenovia High School and then moved on to work as a Principal within the Liverpool School District. A few years later he then took on his first Superintendent’s job in Mayville, New York, which eventually led him to the very important position of Superintendent of North Tonawanda School District.
Harry was a true Humanitarian, and really did devote his life to helping others. After retiring from overseeing public schools, he couldn’t give things a rest like his other retiree buddies, and just went right on to teaching Administration at Buffalo State College. You’d think that he would have been spending all of his time playing golf and working in his garden like most people do when they are 65 years plus, but not Harry! I remember he once said to me “Looking back on my career, I wish I had been either a Lawyer or Professor” and I always thought to myself that he would have been great at any career path he chose.
Reflecting back, I think what made Uncle Harry such an exceptional leader in the community and role model for others was his love and devotion to his family. His family, along with his faith in the Lord was where his heart always was. His wife, Charlene, children, Matt and Lisa, grandchildren, Jimmy, Crystal, Betzy, Jennifer, Michael, Danny and many great grandchildren were the most important thing to him in the world, and he genuinely devoted his life to being a caring father, grandfather, great-grandfather and husband.
During these years, however, Harry managed to find time to delve into various hobbies. I remember him going out and purchasing the very first Apple Computer that came on the market back in the mid 1980’s. He was so inspired by the new marvels of modern technology that he decided to take over his son Matt’s bedroom and make it his official office!
Harry was also quite talented in the kitchen, and took great pride in the variety of Hungarian dishes he could cook. And I’m thinking that he would have also made a great chef! Boy, he really enjoyed his food and had an insatiable appetite.
Uncle Harry also had an incredible sense of humor, which was first revealed to me during our family visits to his home in North Tonawanda. He took a very special interest in constantly teasing my father about his art career, along with his beliefs in politics and religion. He had a very humorous way of provoking cryptic responses from people he wanted to tease that eventually ended up making them “eat their own words.”
Uncle Harry lived a very Christian life, and through the years spent a lot of his time reading various books to further his knowledge and passion for theology, and during our family gatherings the conversations seemed to always move into intense philosophical debates regarding religion. He was completely devoted to the Lutheran Church, and was involved in many church ministries, such as severing as the Lector and visiting the sick in hospitals.
The loss of a loved one is very difficult to deal with, and death is something that all of us fear since we do not really understand it. Uncle Harry, however, was not afraid of death, and I truly believe towards the final months of his life had the time to grow even closer to God and prepared himself for his new life in heaven. We are all very saddened by the loss of Harry, but must trust in our faith that there is indeed an afterlife for the sole. Even though we mourn Harry’s loss on here on earth, based on the way he lived life he is now with God in Heaven. The last words that Uncle Harry said to me two weeks ago over the phone were: “Goodbye Hally”
Goodbye Uncle Harry. I love you.
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