Benjamin Matthew Bennett

Benjamin Matthew Bennett, 99, Indianapolis, went home to be with his Lord September 24, 2019. He was born in 1920 to Leo and Helen (Sharlow) Bennett. He was raised in Upstate New York where he attended grade school and high school. He served in the United States Army as a member of the 62nd Signal Corps where he set up communication operations for his unit. His deployments during World War II included Africa, Sicily, and Italy; some of the hardest fighting in the war. Death and destruction were no strangers to this man at that time. He even saw the great Mussolini hanging in the Square of the Fifteen Martyrs before coming home to the woman of his dreams, Margie Eldridge. They were soon married and moved to Florida where their first child, Eldonna, was born. They later moved to Louisville, Kentucky for electronics school, where Robyn was born. For a new position at RCA, he moved to Indianapolis, where their last two children were born, Darlayne and Loren. He started his own TV and radio business in the town of Beech Grove and became a favorite citizen because of the fun music he played on giant speakers on the sidewalks outside his shop. Ben later worked for 25 years for the Department of the Navy at Naval Avionics Center, retiring in 1982.
Mr. Bennett went to the School of The Great Outdoors where he learned to fish and hunt with the best of them. He enjoyed sharing all that information with others through his 40 plus years involved in Boys Scouts, teaching family, friends, and neighbors. His specialties included archery, canoeing, gun safety, hunting, trapping, and fishing, which he taught at Fort Harrison.
His other passions include square dancing, clogging, hunting, and was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and the VFW.
Survivors include his four children, Eldonna, (Mike) Rees, Robyn (Dennis) Qurazzo, Darlayne (Steve) Coughlin, and Loren (Mary) Bennett, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Murdie DeRuchia and Mahlon Eldridge, eight grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and many special nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to Golden-Burke Scout Center – Crossroads of America Council, BSA, 7125 Fall Creek Rd N, Indianapolis, IN 46256. Visitation will be held Sunday from 1:30-2:30pm at Flanner Buchanan-Oaklawn Memorial Gardens (Conner Suite), 9700 Allisonville Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46250. Funeral services will begin there at 2:30pm. Online condolences may be shared at www.flannerbuchanan.com.