Benn died July 13, 2011, in Boston, Mass., surrounded by his family.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Benn came to Princeton from Hackensack, N.J. At the University, Benn was class president and graduated cum laude  in chemical engineering. He played rugby and 150-pound football and was a diver on the swim team. Benn was a member of Dial Lodge.
 
After working for DuPont for two years, Benn returned to Princeton to earn a master’s degree in chemical engineering and served on the chemical engineering faculty. During his career, he worked on the Manhattan Project for M.W. Kellogg Co., designed and built oil refineries and chemical plants around the world, and took leadership positions at M.W. Kellogg and Hoechst-Uhde. He was active in his Florida and Nantucket communities and sat on several volunteer boards.
 
Benn was a devoted alumnus, serving his class, Annual Giving, regional committees and the Alumni Council. Benn attended his 75th reunion shortly before his death and proudly showed off his family at the P-rade.
 
Benn was predeceased by a daughter, Bonnie Benn Jesser; a brother, Ned Jesser; his first wife, Alice Abeel; and two grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Bobbie Jesser; a brother, Richard Jesser; 11 children and stepchildren; 29 grandchildren; and 53 great-grandchildren.
Graduate Class of 1941
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Undergraduate Class of 1936