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Gary Zane Benedict was born June 11, 1950 in Marion, Ohio to Donald Elsworth Benedict and Thelma Mae Bratton Benedict. He entered into eternal rest with Jesus May 13, 2022 in Houston, Texas after a difficult battle with illness.
World War 2 Aviation had interrupted his Dad’s college football career and brought the family to Texas. And Mooney Aircraft brought the family to Kerrville.
Gary came from a family of gifted and competitive athletes in multiple sports.
He was inducted into Tivy High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 for being All State in Track 3 years, winning the State Championship in Pole Vaulting, held the School Record for over 40 Years, and was All West Texas and All Super Central Texas in Football.
Gary graduated from Tivy High School in 1968 and attended Baylor University on a track scholarship. He tied the Baylor School Record in pole vaulting but a vaulting accident and injury kept him from reaching his full potential.
After 4 years at Baylor, he transferred to University of Texas at Austin as a Journalism Major. He loved to write and had a great sense of humor. He began to play tennis and being self taught excelled at it quickly and became a teacher as he always wanted to be a coach.
He met his future wife, Penny Coffman, teaching tennis in Austin. He married in May of 1977. They relocated to Houston, Texas, where he settled down and started a family in 1980. He was married to Penny for 41 years and leaves behind his son, Blair Zane Benedict, daughter, Kaysie Beth Benedict, and the joy of his life - one precious granddaughter - Presleigh Blayne Benedict, 6 years old, and his brother and sister in-law in Arlington, Texas - Dr. Brad and Carlynn Pressler Benedict and family.
He loved music including the Beatles, Elton John, Little River Band, Cranberries, Heart, and many more. In high school he played drums in 2 bands. JD & The Marauders led by future PGA Professional golfer, John Mahaffey, and another band, The Back Row Majority. Later in life he learned to play guitar.
He had a career in petrochemical design, drafting, and construction in AutoCAD and retired from Bechtel Corporation.
He loved his kids with all his heart. He reconnected with tennis in later life, loved blues music, and loved playing guitar. He is forever loved and in our hearts until we meet again.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald Elsworth Benedict and Thelma Mae Benedict; Penny’s parents, Robert and Dolores Coffman; grandparents, and many aunts and uncles.
World War 2 Aviation had interrupted his Dad’s college football career and brought the family to Texas. And Mooney Aircraft brought the family to Kerrville.
Gary came from a family of gifted and competitive athletes in multiple sports.
He was inducted into Tivy High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012 for being All State in Track 3 years, winning the State Championship in Pole Vaulting, held the School Record for over 40 Years, and was All West Texas and All Super Central Texas in Football.
Gary graduated from Tivy High School in 1968 and attended Baylor University on a track scholarship. He tied the Baylor School Record in pole vaulting but a vaulting accident and injury kept him from reaching his full potential.
After 4 years at Baylor, he transferred to University of Texas at Austin as a Journalism Major. He loved to write and had a great sense of humor. He began to play tennis and being self taught excelled at it quickly and became a teacher as he always wanted to be a coach.
He met his future wife, Penny Coffman, teaching tennis in Austin. He married in May of 1977. They relocated to Houston, Texas, where he settled down and started a family in 1980. He was married to Penny for 41 years and leaves behind his son, Blair Zane Benedict, daughter, Kaysie Beth Benedict, and the joy of his life - one precious granddaughter - Presleigh Blayne Benedict, 6 years old, and his brother and sister in-law in Arlington, Texas - Dr. Brad and Carlynn Pressler Benedict and family.
He loved music including the Beatles, Elton John, Little River Band, Cranberries, Heart, and many more. In high school he played drums in 2 bands. JD & The Marauders led by future PGA Professional golfer, John Mahaffey, and another band, The Back Row Majority. Later in life he learned to play guitar.
He had a career in petrochemical design, drafting, and construction in AutoCAD and retired from Bechtel Corporation.
He loved his kids with all his heart. He reconnected with tennis in later life, loved blues music, and loved playing guitar. He is forever loved and in our hearts until we meet again.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald Elsworth Benedict and Thelma Mae Benedict; Penny’s parents, Robert and Dolores Coffman; grandparents, and many aunts and uncles.