Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Benak, Joseph J. March 23, 2018
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Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net April 23, 2020, 1:25 pm

Ionia Sentinel Standard-Wed. March 28, 2018

JOSEPH BENAK, 92
Joseph J. Benak, 92, of Ionia, passed away on March 23, 2018, at home. He was well
known as "G. I. Joe".  He was born in Chicago on Jan. 13, 1926.

During the depression years, his parents bought a farm in  Buchanan. He was graduate
of Galien High School after coming back from WW II.

While in High school, he joined the Civil Air Patrol and earned is pilot's license
at the age of 17 in Niles. Later, he was inducted into the U.S. Army for WW II service.  After
initial warfare training at Camp Hood, Texas, his unit was sent to Hawaii for advanced jungle
training. From there he was sent to the Western Pacific Theatre of Operations (Saipan and Guam
campaigns). Joe's specialty was a bazooka gunner with the 307th regimental Combat
team, 77th Infantry Division. During the campaign, Joe contracted both malaria and
respiratory illness and was assigned to both 119 Station Hospital and 204th Army Hospital on
Guam. After the was had ended, he decided not to go back to the farm, but to go into the
field of education with the help of the G. I. Bill. Later in life, Joe received the
Congressional Gold Medal from the Civil Air Patrol on Sept., 3, 2016. He simply wanted to teach and
loved aspects of nature. He received five National Science foundation Fellowships in
science. He received his B. A. in biology and his M. A. in science education. Joe was selected
to Chi-Gamma lota Fraternity (Veteran's Scholastic Honor Society from the University of
Illinois).

While teaching he met his wife, Emily, who was also a teacher. Joe's teaching and 
administrative positions were in Illinois, Michigan, and Guam and totaled 40 years.
In Illinois, Joe was a consultant and coordinator for 217 teachers at Champaign Public
Schools.  He then decided to come back to Michigan and took the position of
Principal and Superintendent of schools in Lyons-Muir. Joe was also principal at Rather Elementary
School. After consolidation, Joe stayed as principal at Muir and also taught at
Boyce School until his retirement in 1986.

In that same year, Joe and Emily went back to Guam and taught there for six years
until 1992. He taught for the Department of Education, Government of Guam, and two years
at St. John's Academy in biology and sciences, finally retiring in 1992.

Joe had one son, Charles and one daughter, Charmaine. He loved his family and
enjoyed all summers camping, fishing, and hunting with his wife and children in both the Upper 
Peninsula and Canada.He also collected old cars as a hobby. In his later years, he
still enjoyed golfing, hunting, and planting flowers around his fish pond and just being
out in nature. Joe also enjoyed spending winters in Florida golfing with his wife. For
former years, Joe was a life member of many organizations and clubs: V. F. W. Post #4090, American
Legion post 37, National Science Techers, V. F. W. National Home for Children, Lions
Club in Lyons-Muir, Guam, and Ionia.

Joe was preceded n in death by his parents, Vincent and Mary Benak of Berwyn, Ill.,
and his wife, Emily on June 28, 2017.

He is survived by his son, Charles, living in Texas, his daughter Charmaine and
son-in-law, Mark living in California and his grandson, Connor. He is also survived by four
cousins.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31, at the Lehman funeral home, 220
Rich St., Ionia. the family will receive friends 407 p. m. Friday at the funeral home. He
will be laid to rest at Tuttle cemetery. Military rites shall be honored by the American Legion
Post 37.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Joe's name to V. F. W. Nation Home for
Children, Great Lakes Caring Hospice, or the Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Rd. 
Nebraska City, N. E. 68410. Arrangements are entrusted to Lehman Funeral Homes.

Online condolences may be made at lehmanfuneralhomes.com

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