JOHN BENJAMIN Obituary

BENJAMIN, John Of Boston, Massachusetts, died at home, surrounded by family, on July 9, 2025, from complications of Parkinson's Disease. Born on November 30, 1944 in Wayland, Massachusetts, to B. Allen Benjamin and Eleanore Conant Benjamin, he was raised with an ethos of hard work, self-sufficiency, adventure and creativity. John completed his undergraduate and master's degrees at Cornell University in electrical engineering. After a brief stint at Raytheon, he left to found first a toy company that made delightful balancing clowns, and then a construction company, completing more than 75 major projects in the Boston area over a 50 year career. A craftsman of the highest order and dedicated mentor, John's professional legacy is one of beauty, quality and ingenuity. John was curious, energetic and adventuresome. He loved machinery of all kinds, including his 289 AC Cobra which he raced, and his most beloved 1941 Farmall A tractor, which he used his entire life and taught his kids and grandkids how to drive. He lavished attention on his grandchildren, building a home in S. Dartmouth, Massachusetts, tailor made for their visits, including a treehouse, a zipline and endless projects to delight, entertain and inspire. John's spirit was infectious and his friendships lifelong. John is survived by his wife, Shelley Benjamin; his stepsons, Alex and Christopher Wellins; Alex's wife Andy Greenberg and their sons, Jake and Max Wellins; Chris' wife Scottie Siewers and their children, Zachary (fiancee Lucy Wing) and Emma Wellins; as well as by his siblings, Martin Conant Benjamin and Jane Ashley Benjamin and their families. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either Sudbury Valley Trustees - https://www.svtweb.org/ or Doctors Without Borders - https://give.doctorswithoutborders.org/

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Published by Boston Globe from Jul. 20 to Jul. 21, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for JOHN BENJAMIN

4 Entries

Claire and Michael Oliver

September 20, 2025

Dear Shelley,
We are very sad to learn of John´s death. Although we didn´t know each other very well, we vividly remember our times with you and John as always being so fascinating and so fun. We were so impressed with your and John´s creativity and with his love for and dedication to you and the boys. We hope that the many wonderful memories of your time together will help keep him close in spite of his absence. He was a terrific person! We send you our love.
Claire and Michael Oliver

Kelly Peyton

August 8, 2025

I'm so sorry to read about John's passing. I was honored to have been his hair stylist for the past decade and a half (give or take). Every visit with him was truly a pleasure. He was a positive and calming soul, who I always looked forward to seeing. He always spoke proudly of his kids and grandkids, but he spoke most highly of his lovely Shelley, who I had the pleasure of meeting once or twice. Much love to all of you. John was an amazing man. I'll sure miss our chats. The world is a little less awesome without him.

Joyce Warburton Patenaude

July 25, 2025

So sorry for your loss thoughts and prayers at this most difficult time.

Susan Strauss

July 24, 2025

This obituary is a wonderful tribute to John. It paints a wonderful picture of John. I think of John as very charming, very well spoken and very well-informed. It was always a pleasure to be in his company.
The first time I met John was when I was just engaged to his brother. I wondered whether his charm was a test to see if I had a roving eye, but no, everything about John was just a nice. friendly and charming guy. He and Shelley were "all in" on our marriage. In fact, John officiated and we were married at their beautiful S. Dartmouth home. The summer weekends we spent with them were always the high points of our summer. The conversations and hospitality were always superb.
Martin and I were grateful to have time with John at their home in Boston last year. John remained the consummate host. It was a thrill to see all the engineering feats from small to large. I enjoyed seeing him fill the bird feeder and then hoist it high above us. He proudly showed us Shelley´s collections of wall art and objects. And I marveled in admiration.
I know John spent his life with the love of his life, Shelley, and loved helping to raise Alex and Chris, his two stepsons who made him very proud. He had a country home and barn he treasured and his beloved home in the Boston. It is my hope that the renovation construction work he designed and supervised, although very challenging was upon completion, usually satisfying. I know he traveled to the extent that pleased him, going here and there to see friends.
I think John would be the first one to tell us that he led a good life, a life that made him happy. My tears are for those of us who will miss him, especially you Shelley.
My smile is for who he was and all he was. I am pleased and honored to have known him. You will be missed, John. Sending hugs all around.

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