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Legacy Leaders
Dr. John B. Benson
Dr. John B. Benson
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We were saddened to hear that Dr. John B. Benson, a long-time member of Ontario Nature, passed away in December, 2004. Dr. Benson was a strong supporter of our Nature Reserves program, and made a significant gift towards the acquisition of Quarry Bay Nature Reserve on Manitoulin Island in 1999. He also made a generous financial bequest to Ontario Nature in his will.
Dr. Benson, better known as "Bernie" to his family and friends, was born in 1920. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Medical Corps in 1942, while still an undergraduate medical student at the University of Toronto. He graduated in 1943 and following his internship, received his commission and was drafted overseas in 1944. Following postings in the United Kingdom, he was posted to the 10th Canadian Field Ambulance in 1944, and landed in Normandy in early July 1944. Shortly thereafter he was posted to the VIII Canadian Recce Regiment as Medical Officer. He continued as M.O., until September, 1945, serving mainly in Holland. Then the VIII Recce returned to England prior to return to Canada. Following his return to Canada and discharge from the services in 1946, he went into general medical practice in Port Hope.
John’s mother, Mary Josephine Trotter was a poet. In the late 1990's John had her complete works published. John's father, Harry Wordsworth Benson, was also a doctor. He unfortunately died just months before John returned from the war. John set up his practice in the same office his father had in the family home on Walton St., continuing there until he retired in 1994.
Dr. Benson is remembered as a very caring and committed family doctor, even making occasional house calls if necessary. He loved the outdoors and spent much of his free time walking with one of his beloved black Labrador retrievers in the forest or along the Lakeshore. He attended many Recce Unions, in Canada, France, Holland and England, and maintained close contact with many of his military comrades by letters and phone calls. His cousin, Pat Peters, recalls, “Bernie was a very generous, thoughtful, humble and private man, with a wonderful sense of humour.”
Ontario Nature is grateful to Dr. Benson for the tremendous contribution he made to conservation in Ontario. His love of the natural world will live on through the legacy that he has helped to create.
To find out more about how you can make a gift to Ontario Nature in your will, click here.
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