Richard W. Benjamin PhD

Richard Walter Benjamin North Augusta, SC - Richard Walter Benjamin, beloved husband of Sally C. Benjamin passed away peacefully at home on Monday, December 9, 2013. The family will receive friends on Sunday, Dec 15, from 3 until 5 at Posey Funeral Directors. Funeral Services will be held Monday, December 16, at 2 o'clock in the Posey Funeral Chapel with Father David F.O. Thompson officiating. Interment will follow in Westover Memorial Park, 2601 Wheeler Road, Augusta, Georgia. Celebration of Dick’s life will continue at Wine World about 5 p.m. All are invited. 133 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, S.C. 803 279-9522 Dick was born December 8, 1935 in Albany, New York, the son of Alfred H Benjamin and Ethel Byrd Benjamin. He grew up in Dallas, Texas and attended the Highland Park schools. He was an Eagle Scout. Dick received his BA in Engineering from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he was affiliated with Sigma Nu Social Fraternity. In between his schooling, he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He earned his Master's degree in Nuclear Engineering was from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and he earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Texas at Austin. Texas. After a post-doc at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, Dick came to the Savannah River Site. Projects he worked on include the Reactor Physics Group, the Meteorology Group and Weather Station, the Advanced Planning Group, and the Accelerator Project for the Production of Tritium (APT). After his retirement, he consulted for the University Program for the APT. Many of his co-workers became good friends and highly regarded colleagues. Dick had wide interests. He was active and took leadership roles in the early 1970’s in the Augusta Choral Society and in the Augusta Opera. He was a member of the Augusta Sailing Club for many years. He also enjoyed snow skiing and hiking. He was a founding partner in Wine World in 1972 and was active there to his death. He was not only an enthusiast, but a wine educator as well. He served as a wine judge for several international wine competitions. He was co-director of the local Tasters Guild, a wine and food appreciation society. He was also active in the American Wine Society, presenting seminars at the annual national meetings for many years and judging competitions. He was also a member of the Society of Wine Educators. Among his great pleasures was time in the field with his friends in Aiken Dove Club, which he helped to found. The Thursday Discussion Group was an activity he enjoyed immensely. It was important to him to share with others those things which gave him special pleasure. In addition to Sally, his wife of 52 years, Dick is survived by a son, Andrew H Benjamin, his wife, Amy Grove and a grandson Oliver Grove Benjamin, Asheville, NC; a sister Carroll Benjamin Swanson and her husband, Bill Swanson, Mesquite, Texas; a cousin; many nieces, nephews; grand-nieces and a grand-nephew. He was predeceased by his brother James Henry Benjamin, Dallas, Texas In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association. P O Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312, or to the American Nuclear Society, Savannah River Section Scholarship Fund, c/o Sid Keener, 271 Southbank Dr., Aiken, SC 29803. Posey Funeral Directors of North Augusta in charge of arrangements (803.278.1181). Visit the registry online at www.poseyfuneraldirectors.com

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Richard W. Benjamin PhD

December 8, 1935 - December 9, 2013