Obituary of James Armen Benham

James Benham, 93, passed away June 1, 2010 after a long and wonderful life, peacefully, with his family by his side. Mr. Benham was born on March 14, 1917 in New York City. He was the son of a well-respected tailor, Earl Benham and his wife, Christine. Earl Benham & co. catered to the haberdashery needs of the movie stars and socialites of the time. Mr. Benham attended Riverdale Country School in New York. Upon graduation, he attended Princeton University, where he graduated in 1939. At the time of his death Mr. Benham was the president of his Princeton graduating class. Mr. Benham joined the navy shortly after graduating. He served as an ensign aboard The USS Farragut when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He received The Bronze Star for his heroic act of guiding the frigate out of the harbor to safety that day. He served in the navy until the end of the war, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After the war, Mr. Benham entered the advertising business, working at Young & Rubicam until 1957, when he left to join Ted Bates & Co. He held the title of Senior Vice President and Director until his retirement in 1981. His work included advertising campaigns for Colgate, The U.S Peace Corps, and The U.S Armed Services. Mr. Benham was quite active in the years following his retirement in many philanthropic endeavors such as Executive Service Corp., Easter Seals Rehabilitation in Stamford, CT, and the American Junior Golf Association. Jim was an avid golfer who traveled all over the world to pursue his passion for the links. A longtime member of The Wee Burn Country Club, he was recently honored with a golf tournament in his name. The first annual Benham Cup was played this past May. He was truly a patriarch for his family. He was predeceased by his first wife June. He is survived by his wife Kay Fabbri-Benham, daughters Judi Benham of Darien, Maher Benham of New York City, Grandchildren Angelo Tuccinardi and his wife Dawn, Tina Tuccinardi of Darien, and Freddie Tuccinardi of Darien, Gina Nichols and her husband Tony Zangrillo, also of Darien. He also leaves behind six great-grandchildren, Josh, Jack, and Spencer Nichols and Gabriella, Angelo, and Nicholas Tuccinardi. His stepchildren, Germana Fabbri-Day of Kentfield, CA and her four daughters, Peter Fabbri of West Hartford, CT and his two daughters. A private military service will be held at Spring Grove Cemetery in Darien. A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at Wee Burn Country Club in Darien at 2:30p.m on Friday June 11, 2010. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Vitas Hospice Care 777 Commerce Drive Suite 220 Fairfield CT 06825, or The Wee Burn Country Club Caddy Scholarship Fund, 410 Hollow Tree Ridge Rd. Darien, CT 06820. www.lawrencefuneral home.com. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820