Jennifer Caroline Benson of Marietta, Georgia, daughter of the late John and Camilla Benson, passed away October 3, 2026, after a two-week illness with West Nile Virus.
A graduate from Greer High in 1961 with honors and Furman University in 1965, also with honors, then earned her master’s degree from Brenau University.
Jennifer taught school for a year in Atlanta then was quickly hired in the late '60's by Western Electric now AT&T. She worked there for 44 years and always considered her job a gift.
Jennifer looked at the world and saw exactly where love and help were needed. To the neighborhood's stray and abandoned animals, she was a guardian angel and spent countless hours rescuing, feeding, and finding homes for the vulnerable creatures that others overlooked, ensuring every stray she met felt safe and cared for.
Her compassion extended just as fiercely to her human neighbors. Knowing how vital reliable transportation is to a person's dignity and livelihood, Jennifer made a quiet habit of buying dependable older cars for individuals who were struggling. She never asked for recognition or anything in return and simply wanted to make sure people could get to work, care for their families, and move forward.
Surviving are her sister, Vivian Benson; cousins, Cyndie Locklear, Jeff Richards, Frank Locklear, Bill Locklear, Tracy Richards, Lynda Erwin, Sandra Bailey, April Woods, Lee Isabell, Ruby McCaslin, John Richards, and Kathy Pedraza; and a community of friends both two-legged and four-legged who will miss her.
A service to celebrate Jennifer's beautiful life will be held at 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at The Wood Mortuary Chapel in Greer, South Carolina. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memory Gardens.
Visitation will be held from 1 to 1:45 p.m. Oct. 10 at The Wood Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to a local animal shelter or that you simply perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone in need, just as Jennifer did.
Online condolences may be made to www.thewoodmortuary.com.
