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William J. 'Bill' Benda
WILLIAM J. "BILL" BENDA
Cedar Rapids
William J. "Bill" Benda, 88, of Cedar Rapids, died Jan. 1, 2019, at St. Luke's Hospital. Per Bill's request, there will be no service or visitation. Iowa Cremation in assisting the family.
Bill was born and raised in Centerville. Upon graduation from high school in 1948, he joined the U.S. Air Force. After basic training, he was stationed in Japan and later served the rest of his enlistment in the Philippines. Bill was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant in 1952.
Bill met and married Enid Ulvestad on Feb. 3, 1952, in Ames. He worked as a draftsman at Collins Radio for several years. He left Collins to get a degree in business and accounting at Coe College. After graduation, he returned to Rockwell Collins as a cost accountant and retired from there in 1988.
Bill loved photography and travel with his wife, Enid. They traveled the world together more than 50 years with Bill taking pictures most every step of the way.
He is survived by his wife, Enid; and three nieces, Kristen, Carol and Margaret Trimble.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Natalie Trimble.
Enid would like to give a special thank you to the staff at Living Center East for their great kindness during Bill's stay there. Also thanks to the staff and volunteers at the Ed and Jean Hemphil Hospice who made extraordinary efforts to keep Bill comfortable during his last days. Their generous spirit is unmatched.
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