Mary Benson, 95, of Marlton, NJ passed away on July 16, 2026.
Born in West New York, NJ, Mary lived in Clifton, West Milford, and Mahwah, NJ, with her husband Fred and six children. They moved to Ocean City, NJ, in 1976. Mary was predeceased by her husband Fred C. Benson, publisher of the Ocean City Sentinel Ledger, in 1995.
A graduate of Clifton High School and Newark State Teachers College, Mary was a teacher and certified speech correctionist for 39 years. For fifteen years before she retired, Mary taught at Ocean City High School. She was proud to be co-director of many of the high school’s Drama Club productions.
An active member of Saint Augustine Church/Saint Damien Parish, Mary served as Lector and Eucharistic Minister; she was a member of the Vincent DePaul Society, and served on the Bereavement Committee. She also served as a Eucharistic Minister of the Sick at Shore Memorial Hospital in Somers Point, NJ. Mary worked as Judge on the Ocean City Board of Elections for 15 years, and was Treasurer (and Joke Teller) of Our Lady of Good Counsel Leisure Club for many years.
Mary enjoyed playing Bridge and Mahjongg. She liked to paint and quilt, and often used these “God Given Talents,” as she called them, to make gifts for her family and friends. Mary and Fred and all of their children were involved in many theatre productions while living in Mahwah, NJ; as members of The Small Town and Fancy Players community theatre, they made costumes, built sets, collected props, sold tickets, worked on the stage crew, acted, sang and danced. On stage or off, the Benson Family were together.
Mary’s favorite times were being with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren… individually or as a bunch. Her love for the arts, her family, and her neighbors left an indelible mark on the lives she touched.
She is survived by her six children: Fred C. Benson Jr. (Jeannie) of Ormond Beach, FL; Rosemary Benson Salotti (Harry) of Pitman, NJ; Michael Benson (Debra) of Sherrills Ford, NC; Maureen Benson Heaton (Alan) of Hurst, TX; Thomas Benson (Carmela) of Flemington, NJ; and Barbara Anne. Benson of Ocean City, NJ. Mary was the proud grandmother of 13 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren, each of whom brought her immense joy.
Mary will be remembered for her boundless energy, her deep love of family, her commitment to education, and her devotion to the communities she called home. She loved Ocean City, where her memory will live on — her name to be added alongside her husband’s on the bench plaque at 20th Street on the Ocean City.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to a local arts or education foundation of your choice.
