Phillip “Phil” E. Benson, 83, of Rock Island, passed away Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at his home. Services will be 10 am Monday at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Rock Island. Visitation will be Sunday from 1-4 pm at the funeral home.
Burial will be at Rock Island National Cemetery, Arsenal Island, where military honors will be presented. Memorials may be made in care of The Sanctuary Church, Davenport. Phillip was born in Moline, Ill.
on April 13, 1935, a son of Lyman F. and Gladys M. Phillips Benson. Phillip graduated from Rock Island High School in 1953, where he played football, ran track and participated with Boy Scouts. He married Barbara Wilson on November 1, 1958 in Canton, Ill.
She preceded him in death on March 13, 2014. Phillip was a U.S. Navy veteran and sailed on the USS Spangler as well as the USS O’Bannon known for the “Spud Attack,” sinking a Japanese submarine with thrown potatoes. The O’Bannon Cooks were on the deck when the submarine surfaced.
The cooks had no weapons so they threw potatoes at the submarine crew. The crew panicked thinking the “spuds” were grenades and dove leaving the hatch open, sinking the sub. Phil loved sharing this story and had proof with newspaper articles.
Phil also swam on the Navy Fleet Swim Team. Phillip worked 32 years at International Harvester (Case I.H.), East Moline. After retirement, Phillip worked as a delivery driver for Pro-Motion Services and volunteered as a crossing guard for Audubon Elementary School and for the Rock Island Center for Math and Science for 10 years.
Phil was a currently a member of The Sanctuary Church in Davenport. Previously he was a member of the Vineyard Church where he was a small group leader and volunteered at Kings Harvest where he faithfully served meals to the homeless and needy of our community for many years. Prior to that he was a member of Memorial Christian Church where he was an adult Sunday school teacher, chauffeured people to Sunday worship and served as president of both, men’s fellowship and the church bowling league.
He also attended Westside Assembly of God in the late 70’s. Phil served as chairman of several fundraisers including the Holiday on Ice and the Rock Island County Fair. He volunteered for the Rock Island High School Boosters participating with the team who painted the field house its school colors.
He also was an ASA girls’ softball coach as well as a charter coach of the Rock Island Girls Softball team that placed second in its first state tournament. Phil enjoyed dancing, gardening, reading, playing solitaire and fishing, especially in Minnesota. Phil had many nicknames.
In school, he was called, Flip. In the Navy and work, Benny, but he always said his favorite name was, Grandpa! He was such a loving, fun and kind man.
Those left to cherish his memory include his children, Denise (Gary) Jones, Davenport, Phillip Mark (Sammy) Benson and Becky Benson, both of Rock Island; grandchildren, Tabitha (Jonathan) Tschirhart, Amorette (Josh) Costello, Matthew Jones, Bethany (Ryan) Neumeyer, Havalah Jones and Mariah Benson; great-grandchildren, Kyla, Jaydon, Jerzi, Emily, Laura, Clara and Adelaide; sister-in-law, Crystal; and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Barbie, sister, Phyllis Benson and infant brother. The family extends a special thank you to the VA in Davenport, Home Instead Senior Care and UnityPoint Health, Trinity Hospice, especially Bobi Jo and Pam.
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