Benson C. Sargent
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Benson Collins Sargent, 78, passed away peacefully from pancreatic cancer on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at his home, surrounded by his wife of 56 years and his immediate family.
Benson's birthday home was on Terry Hill in Fairlee, where Benson enjoyed telling the story of how his older brothers advised him that, on his birthday, May 18, 1943, his Mom had been gone from home a week or 10 days and then suddenly returned with Benson (wrapped in baby blue swaddling clothes) with neither brother (five and ten years older) knowing exactly where their Mom had been, where Benson had come from, or how he had gotten there.... the Five and Dime, perhaps, or Montgomery Wards?
In the early days, Benson attended Fairlee Grammar School during warmer months and in the winter months, was schooled in the South and Southwest. His parents sought warm, dry air for his dad's asthma during winter months when few treatments existed for the disease during those years.
In 1961, Benson graduated from Bradford Academy where he was a 4-year letterman in baseball and golf and was elected president of his class for four years. Benson continued those sports into his adult life, but not before winning the Vermont American Legion Baseball Championship in 1960 with the Hartford, VT Legion. Benson loved his Red Sox and watched them play live from spring training in 1950's in Sarasota, FL through their four World Series wins in the new millennium. He also was an avid Norwich University Hockey fan and held season tickets at his alma mater for the last 20 straight years.
In 1965, Benson earned a BSCE Degree in Civil Engineering and was commissioned a 2nd-Lt in the U.S. Army at Norwich University. He made several Dean's Lists and trained in the Mountain and Cold Weather Training Program while demonstrating top-notch excellence on the rifle range at Ft. Devins ROTC Summer Camp. He was invited to join the 1st Army Rifle Team to compete against other Army Divisions that summer. Years later, Benson would return to Norwich and UVM to earn a Master of Engineering Degree in 1978 with emphasis on drinking water treatment and land application of wastewater.
A month after earning his BSCE, Benson and Pat exchanged marriage vows at the Fairlee Federated Church. It was their love of dancing that first attracted them to each other. Over the course of their 56-year marriage, Benson and Patricia were blessed with four children, two daughters and two sons. Then, suddenly, and quite tragically, their daughter, Kelly was called by our Lord Jesus within 24 hours at the age of seven, when Benson, Pat, and family resided in Barre.
After 25 years of Active Duty and Reserve Duty, Benson retired from the Army as a Lt-Col. During his active-duty years, he served in the Dominican Republic, then at Ft. Bragg, N.C., where he assumed a unit command of 200 soldiers, which provided transportation and equipment support for the cadets of the 3rd Army ROTC Summer Camp. His Army Reserve assignments were in Vermont and Virginia, including the Research and Development base at Ft. Belvoir, VA where he assisted in developing the (ROWPU) water treatment unit. This ROWPU unit was used in the Gulf Wars to convert salt water into fresh water used for laundry, showers, and bathing. After completion of his active-duty Army commitments, Benson pursued a professional, civilian career in environmental engineering. His years with Vermont's Environmental Conservation Department and Water Supply Division culminated in his rise to Deputy Director of Vermont's Water Supply Division. This period included his most productive years with Vermont's water supply program. Thus, the cry of VPIRG's "Frogs in the Faucet" by a northern Vermont town was replaced with a new well system for that town, and construction of some of the nation's most modern surface water treatment plants including ones in Readsboro, Rutland City, Barre City, and Bellows Falls, VT.
In 2001, upon retiring from the State of Vermont after 30 years, Benson was asked to join the U.S. Public Health Service as a Water Systems Engineer on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, where he built community-style water systems for ten years. Hands-on planning, project funding, design, and construction of Navajo community water systems for the Navajo people was the primary mission. Being invited by Navajo communities to join each celebration of completed new water projects was the major highlight of his Navajo experience. But perhaps his greatest Navajo reward was being honored with the Indian Health Service Director's Award in 2003 for "OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE, DEDICATION, AND COMMITMENTS TO THE OVERALL MISSION OF THE INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE, UNITED STATES PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE."
His commitment to community and worship extended to every residence from the Congregational Church of Barre to the Pinion Hills Church of Farmington, NM. Early in the Barre experience, Benson was a member of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) where he served as a local director of the Barre Chapter. He was active in the Barre Cub and Boy Scouts of America and managed several Little League and Babe Ruth teams for Barre on which his sons played. He was also a member of the American Legion and the Bradford Academy Alumni Association. And for the past several years, he was a member of the Barre Flags for Veterans Committee, honoring veterans in Barre cemeteries. Other memberships and activities included the VT Society of Engineers; Registered Professional Engineers; the Native American Jewelry and Antiquities Association; the Country Club of Barre; the Early Ford V8 Club; alpine skiing; Western swing dancing; 4-wheeling the Rockies; raising raspberries and blueberries; and joining his grandchildren's recreational, family, and sporting activities.
Although Benson lead an active and accomplished life, he considered his greatest accomplishment as being a devoted father, loving husband, and beloved grandfather.
Survivors include his wife, Pat, who lovingly cared for him in recent months as his health declined; his three children, Beth Hoffman and her husband, Ry of Cabot, VT; Todd Sargent and his wife, Katia of Nassau, the Bahamas; and Chris Sargent and his partner, Deborah Kelly, of Chicago; his five grandchildren Camryn and Summer Hoffman of Cabot, VT; and Luka, Noelia, and Paulo Sargent of Nassau, the Bahamas; his two brothers Harold E. Sargent of Barre, with extended family; and Paul A. Sargent and his wife, Joan of Fairlee, with extended family.
In addition to his parents and grandparents, he was predeceased by his daughter Kelly, his nephew Mark Sargent, his sister-in-law Evelyn (Peggy) Sargent, and many aunts and uncles.
A Celebration of Life for friends and family will be held on Saturday, August 7, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. in the Barre Congregation Church, 35 Church Street, Barre. There are no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Barre Opera House, PO Box 583, Barre, VT 05641 or to the Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641.
Arrangements are by Hooker Whitcomb Funeral Home, 7 Academy Street, Barre. For a memorial guestbook, please visit www.hookerwhitcomb.com