John Kingsley Benson, a prominent Banker and distinguished Dartmouth Alumnus, died at his home at North Hill in Needham on Sunday October 2, 2005. He was 95 years old. Born in Bridgewater MA the son of Mary (Churchill) and Arthur D. Benson. He attended schools in Middleboro MA, graduating as Class President in 1927. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1931, Phi Beta Kappa, and from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration in 1932. In 1969 he was presented with the Dartmouth Alumni Award by then President David McLaughlin. Mr. Benson married the former Gladys Wilkie in 1935. Their marriage lasted for 64 years until Gladys died in 1999. Mr. Benson joined the National Shawmut Bank shortly before the Bank Holiday in 1932. He worked his entire career at Shawmut, holding a number of positions as he moved up the ranks. He retired in 1975 as President of the Shawmut Association and Vice Chairman of Shawmut Bank. Among his business associations were the Commercial Club, the Algonquin Club and the Beacon Society. Mr. Benson took great pleasure in his activities in Dartmouth affairs, serving as President of the Association of Dartmouth Alumni and as an Overseer of the Amos Tuck School. Both his son and grandson followed him at Dartmouth and Tuck. Mr. Benson lived in Needham from 1941 until his death, the past 20 years as a resident of North Hill. He was active in the Congregational Church of Needham, served on the Town Personnel Committee, and was a Town Meeting Member for many years. He also served as a Trustee of the former Glover Memorial Hospital and as Board Chairman and was an active volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Benson maintained a lively intellectual curiosity and sense of humor until his death. He loved to tell stories, frequently interspersed with quotations in Latin from Virgil or Ovid. He followed the affairs of his children and grandchildren with great interest and was regarded by them with love and affection. The beloved husband of the late Gladys (Wilkie), he was the father of John K. “Jack” Benson of Hewletts Landing NY and Carolyn W. Benson of Goshen MA. The brother of the late Stanley D. Benson, he leaves 4 grandchildren and 4 great- grandchildren as well as 2 nieces. A Memorial Service will be held at the Congregational Church of Needham, 1154 Great Plain Avenue, Needham on Thursday October 6th at 10:00 AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flowers donations in John’s name may be made to the John K. and Gladys W. Benson Memorial Fund at the Congregational Church of Needham, 1154, Great Plain Avenue, Needham or to Dartmouth College in his name. Arrangements by the Eaton Funeral Home, Needham