Richard Benton, Jr.

Richard Douglas Benton Jr., 62, died peacefully in Gulfport on the morning of Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Kay Benton of Gulfport; one son, Charlie Benton of Starkville; his father, Richard “Dick” Benton of Biloxi; four sisters, Theresa Fuller, Susan Carrafiello, Annette Benton and Catherine Chavez; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth “Betty” Benton.

Richard was born in Starkville on Nov. 24, 1957, and spent his childhood in Starkville, Oxford and Biloxi. He graduated from Starkville High School in 1976 and matriculated to Mississippi State University.

Richard graduated from MSU in 1982 with a bachelor's in English education. He also earned a master's in English from MSU in 1986.

Richard remained a rabid MSU Bulldog fan his entire life and was known to become very emotionally charged when he watched his Dawgs play.

As an undergraduate in a poetry class, Richard met Kay Brenner, an art major from Tupelo. They married in 1984 and were the lights of each other's lives until the very end. In 1992, while living in Arizona, they welcomed their only child, Charlie, into the world. The family relocated to Gulfport from Arizona in 2000.

Richard will be remembered as a loving and supportive husband and father who took his role as the family's provider and protector seriously. He was always encouraging and often saw potential in others that they didn't see in themselves. He rarely missed one of Charlie's musical engagements or Kay's art shows.

He was a natural poet and had a talent for showing others the world through his eyes with his work. He had an incredible gift for reading aloud, which he applied both to his own works and to those of others.

Richard spent his entire working life as an educator, sharing his passion for literature and English with students. He taught English and related subjects at Many Farms High School in Many Farms, Arizona, and at Harrison Central High School in Gulfport. From 2010 until his death, Richard worked as an adult education instructor in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College system.

Later in his life, Richard became involved in community theatre on the Coast. He performed several roles in productions of the Pass Christian Theatre Project and in Biloxi Little Theatre. His final onstage appearance was at the PCTP's 2019 Holiday Extravaganza, where he recited Robert Service's poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee."

He was a lifelong Catholic and served at various points as a lector and religious education teacher at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gulfport. He was also a member of Knights of Columbus Council 1244 in Biloxi.

Though his tastes were relatively simple, Richard appreciated the finer things in life including, but not limited to fried softshell crabs, pistachios and Evan Williams green label.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Richard at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 27 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Gulfport. Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Gulfport.

The family would like to thank Dr. Allison Wall and other medical and nursing staff of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.

RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Gulfport is serving the family and the online guestbook may be viewed, and memories & photos shared at www.riemannfamily.com