Born in Grand Rapids, MI, he was the son of the late Jerome Joseph Benchich and the late Bernice Woods Benchich, and is survived by his wife, Margaret.
Jeff graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in June of 1978 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. During his five years (and a day) with the Army, Jeff achieved the rank of Captain and was stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia and Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. In May of 1983, Jeff transitioned to the civilian world and joined the IBM Corporation in Poughkeepsie, New York, in resource planning. In addition to raising a family and working at IBM, Jeff earned his MBA from Marist College in Poughkeepsie. Over the course of his 34 year career with IBM, Jeff held several professional and management positions in IBM’s hardware and services divisions. At the time of his death, Jeff was a contracts & negotiations executive, responsible for structuring and negotiating large scale services agreements for IBM.
Jeff was very active in his community and was committed to the importance of public education. He served on the Millbrook Central School District Board of Education from 1994 – 2000 and was one of the original members of the Millbrook Educational Foundation (MEF). In those roles, he helped to enhance the educational experience of local public school students. His favorite activities included golf, travel, grilling, political discussions, and Army football. However, his greatest joy in life was spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Surviving are his children Jason Charles Benchich, Jordan Leigh Benchich (Wael El Haddad), Jennifer Brynn Graham (Joseph), Jillian Paige Blass (Jonathan), Jeffery George Benchich (Ilana), and 3 grandchildren: Ryan and Liam Blass and Harper El Haddad.
Also surviving are siblings John James (Deborah), Jerome Joseph (Sandra), Jay Karol (Merrilee), and John Matthew (Karen). He was predeceased by his brother Larry Michael.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend his Memorial Service, 3 PM, Sunday, January 22, 2017 at Lyall Memorial Federated Church, 30 Maple Avenue, Millbrook, NY. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jeff’s memory can be sent to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , 3 International Drive, Suite 200, Rye Brook, NY 10573. (www.lls.org)
