Mr. John Benka, age 89, passed away peacefully at his home on May 17, 2019. Born on December 5, 1929 in Zlate, Czechoslovakia, John came to the Lakehead with his mother as a young man in 1949, to join his father who had come to Canada shortly after John's birth.
In 1966 he married Marian Zets in a Thanksgiving Day wedding celebration in Pennsylvania, and the newlyweds returned to Fort William to make a home for themselves. John worked as a machine operator for Canada Steamship Lines, and later as a custodian for the Lakehead District School Board until his retirement in 1994. John loved to be outdoors and enjoyed hunting and fishing in Northwestern Ontario, as well as picking mushrooms and wild berries. He was an avid gardener, and always loved to share the vegetables he grew with family, neighbors, and friends. He was baptized in faith as an infant and confirmed in 1944 at the cathedral in Bardejove, Czechoslovakia. He worshiped faithfully and actively volunteered at Trinity Lutheran Church. John and Marian loved to travel, and they were known to hop in their minivan and drive thousands of miles for an adventure and to visit with family in the States.
John was predeceased by his parents, John and Anna, and his brother, Andrew. He is survived by family in Canada, the United States, and Slovakia. He will be especially missed by his loving wife, Marian, his children, John and Mary Lynn (Michael), and grandchildren, Matthias and Maria, who he enjoyed a special bond with and loved without limit.
Visitation for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, May 28, from noon-1:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 564 North May Street. A funeral service will be held immediately following at 1:00 p.m., with interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens. A gathering of friends and family to celebrate John's life and memory will take place from 3-6 p.m. on May 28 in the Cardinal Room, Canadian Lakehead Exhibition. If desired, memorial donations to Trinity Lutheran Church memorial fund or St. Joseph's Foundation c/o Manor House are greatly appreciated.
