Don Benz was born June, 3, 1923 in Portland, Oregon, and died May 20, 2011 at age 87. He attended Cathedral and Hosford grade schools. A “city-kid”, Don enjoyed many years in 4-H Club, and grew champion roses in the family garden on SE Stevens. After mastering Morse Code, Don received his Amateur Radio License at age 13(W7HLQ). Besides spending many summers at the family “Ranch” in the Coast Range, and beach house in Long Beach, WA, Don loved camping and fishing in the mountains of Central Oregon. A spring that supplied the drinking water for many Benz family camping trips near Cultus Lake was renamed “Benz Spring” by the National Forest Service.

Don graduated from Washington High School (1941), and studied Engineering at Santa Clara College, until classes were suspended to induct “all the boys” into the armed services in 1943. Don served in the US Army, 103rd Infantry Division, as a “radio-man” in the Signal Corp in Europe. He participated in the massive assault of St. Die, France, the breech of the Siegfried Line at Bobenthal in the frigid winter of 1944, and the offensive march through southern Germany to Innsbruck, Austria in early 1945.

Since Santa Clara re-opened with only a freshman class, Don completed his Mechanical Engineering degree at Oregon State College in 1947, and was a member of Tau Beta Pi – a National Honor Society for Engineering students. Don’s first job was in LaCrosse, Wisconsin (Trane Co.), where Dolores von Arx sat in front of him in a night class. They were married in Hokah, Minnesota, June 5, 1948.

Don purchased property from the 1890s’ era Benz farm, where his grandma Emma still lived in the Sylvan area. There Don and Dolores built the family home, where they have lived for 61 years. Don founded Benz Air Engineering Company in 1956, where he worked until 2008. He was also involved in the Benz Spring Co., founded by his father in August of 1922. Don was active in numerous professional societies, a past President of the Producer’s Council, and elected a Fellow in ASHRAE, the largest Engineering society in the world. He was a 35 year member of the Archdiocesan Building Commission (western Oregon).

Don was an avid golfer, with a 5 handicap in his younger years, and many “hole-in-ones”. Besides golf around the US and Europe, Don and Dolores enjoyed annual play in the Astoria Coast and Victoria Empress tournaments for decades. Don was a member of Portland Golf Club for 62 years, and past president in 1966.

A special thank you to Viyada Thongouthaithip, MD, whose expert and compassionate care was a comfort to Don and his family.