Edward Edmund Benham, a retired telecommunications executive, died on
Friday, October 22, 2010, in his home at Sherburne Commons, Nantucket,
MA. He was 91.
Born and raised in Marysville, California, he was a third-generation
Californian. His great-grandfather, the Rev. Henry Sheldon, rounded the
"Horn" in 1848 and founded the town of Shasta, CA, and his father,
Edward Edmund Benham Sr., was the mayor of Maryville.
At an early age, Ed Benham became fascinated by technology. His family
pioneered exhibition photography and motion pictures in Marysville. He
was reared in the theater. His father was a projectionist and his mother
sold tickets and played the piano for the silent films. He experienced
the change to "talkies." By high school, Ed was a projectionist. His
interest in radio led him to work at the local Marysville station.
As a World War II Navy officer, he was assigned to RCA, Camden, NJ, to
work on the top-secret "Television Guided Airplane Program." While at
RCA, a coffee and doughnut rendezvous resulted in Ed's 67 years of
marriage with his beloved wife Trudi.
At the war's end, Edward returned to California to work with his
brother, Boyd. The Benham brothers were pioneers in television. They
built and sold television equipment developing the "Friday Night
Special," a remote mobile television broadcast truck. Then, with Trudi's
help, Ed wrote the instruction manual for
National Schools, facilitating the training of first-time camera and soundmen.
In Los Angeles, in 1948, Edward was one of the handful of men who formed
the television station KTTV, Channel 11, then owned by the LA Times.
During the 1950s and 1960s as chief engineer, he headed a staff of 90
telecast operators. And, on the weekends, Ed could be found in his
garage shop developing new electronic items.
In 1952, for his special telecast from the City of Hope, he received an
award from the Sportsmen Club. The Society of Motion Pictures and
Television Engineering gave him the Award of Excellence in 1957. In
1964, the University of California's Department of Cinema and Television
awarded him a certificate in appreciation of his outstanding
involvement in the field of television.
In 1965, Ed Benham became the technical director of transmission and
space for International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT), working at the
headquarters in New York City. He also traveled to European factories to
supervise operations and manufacturing. The Iron Test Pattern Award was
given to him in 1979 for 37 years of technical contribution to the
television industry.
Ed and Trudi, to be close to their family, retired to Waitsfield,
Vermont. Retirement did not last long as he became a consultant to
Waitsfield-Champlain Valley Telecom and helped them develop their cable
television department. In 1999, the telephone company honored him for
his 17 years of service.
In 2004, Ed and Trudi moved to Nantucket, MA, where their daughter
Valerie and family lived. He was a member of the Union Lodge F&AM,
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Rotary
International, participated in the Radio Amateur Communications
Emergency Service, and was an avid HAM radio operator, with call letters
N1JYV.
He is survived by his wife, Trudi; daughter, Pamela and her husband Paul
Hansma of Santa Barbara, CA; daughter, Valerie Norton and her husband
Richard; grandson, Aaron Norton and his wife Mai Linh; and
great-grandsons, Elias and Isaac, all of Nantucket; granddaughter, Elise
Waldman and her husband Matthew; and great-grandsons, Oscar and Baxter
of Maple Falls, WA.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Clara, and brother, Boyd.
So many have been touched by Ed's genuine friendliness and eternal optimism. He is loved.
A memorial service, a celebration of Ed Benham's life, will be held on
Monday, November 1, 11:30 a.m. at Sherburne Commons, Nantucket.
