Thomas Frederick “Tom” Benson was taken from his family by an unexpected, catastrophic heart attack at home on March 22, 2023.
He was born in Elkhorn, on Aug. 23, 1947. Tom was the youngest child of Benjamin Benson, Sr., and Evelyn Christensen.
Tom graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 1965. He served as a proud Veteran of the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1970. He graduated from Madison Area Technical College in 1973. Tom became a multi-award-winning Class A PGA Golf Professional in 1977 and eventually, a PGA Lifetime Member.
Tom served the Wisconsin golf community at Maple Bluff Country Club (1974 to 1977), Baraboo Country Club (1978 to 1980), Monona and Glenway (1981 to 1984), Odana Hills (1985 to 2012), Nine Springs (2013 to 2014), and Cherokee Country Club/TPC Wisconsin (2015 to 2023).
Tom’s greatest pride was the work he did with junior golfers, including coaching, individual and group lessons, tournament preparation and particularly, the youth program at Odana Hills, which had more than 200 participants annually, with students playing at all levels, from local to national.
He was also honored to be a mentor for several apprentices who went on themselves to become PGA Head Professionals at various courses, public and private, throughout Wisconsin. His very fondest memories came from all he knew from his years of golf.
Tom is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sandra (Sturn) Benson; his daughter, Anne Benson; brother, Benjamin “Skip” Benson Jr.; sister, Germaine Leichtenberg; in-laws [Donald, Peggy (Milne), Suzanne, Robert (Strayer), Debra]; many nieces and nephews; and two grand-dogs.
As his brother, Skip said Tom, “had a big heart, a pure heart. He had a great sense of humor, and always saw the best in people, unless they showed him something otherwise. He loved his country, but always wished we could do better.” As his friend, Mike Duesterbeck said, “We all live and we all die, and Tom had a wonderful life.”
The Benson family would like to give special thanks to Jack Conrad, with whom Tom completed his apprenticeship, at Maple Bluff Country Club, and Dennis Tiziani, at TPC Wisconsin, for giving Tom the opportunity to finish the final chapter of his golf career at a world-class PGA country club, with a crew he truly loved.
A celebration of life will be held in the spring or summer. Details will be forthcoming.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital; Shriners Hospitals for Children; the charitable organization that his daughter, Anne, volunteers for, This Old Horse (Hastings, Minnesota); or the rescues his grand-dogs came from, The American Humane Society or Ruff Start Rescue (Princeton, Minnesota).
To view and sign this guestbook, please visit: www.ryanfuneralservice.com. Ryan Funeral Home and Cremation Services are assisting the family.
