John Milton Benden, 86, of Gettysburg, PA, entered into his eternal rest on Jan 4th, 2026, in his home surrounded by a large group of his family. He was born on October 6, 1939, in a small house in Gallitzin, PA, to Harold and Ethel (Litzinger) Benden.
Following two years of active duty and two years of Reserve duty in the U.S. Naval Air, Milton worked as a machinist for Andrews Air Force Base and then the Bureau of Census in Suitland, Maryland, where he retired in 1996 after 31 years of federal service. Milton and Joan also ran their own machine shop as a side business, employing many workers and producing machined parts for dozens of large Fortune 500 companies, NASA, and the US Department of Defense. While at Andrews AFB, he repaired many different types of aircraft, including Air Force One. His role with the Bureau of the Census was producing the machines that processed, read, and stored the Census data. To say that Milton was the “guy who could fix anything” would be an understatement. The number of friends and family that dropped by with odd equipment that “no one else could repair” was endless. Growing up in his home meant that you never met a repairman, as the idea of “DIY” was not a cool TV show, but rather his way of life.
As a man of faith in our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, he served his God, family, and friends faithfully. He was also a man of many hobbies and passions. Hunting and fishing were at the top of the list, and when he retired, he took full advantage of the bonus days in the woods and on the water. In addition to his legacy of love and support for family, his passions for the outdoors were also passed down to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We all find comfort in knowing that his legacy lives on through the lessons he taught us, the love he shared, and the memories we will cherish forever.
He is survived by his wife, Joan (Magill) Benden, after 63 years of marriage. He was a loving father to Donna Kollars (husband Jerry Kollars), Mark (wife Teresa) and Dennis (wife Tracey). Milton was also a grandfather (Pap-Pap) to 13 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Harold (wife Bunny) and sisters Mary Maness (Dave) and Margo Clark (Mike).
Visitations will be held at Monahan Funeral Home, 125 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, PA, on Jan 7th from 2-4 pm and 5-7 pm. A funeral mass will be held at St Mary’s Catholic Church, 256 Tract Rd. Fairfield, Pa., at 10:45 am on Jan 8th, preceded by a 10 am viewing in the church foyer. Internment will follow mass at noon, and a reception in the St. Mary’s Church Hall will take place immediately following the graveside proceedings.
(In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Tunnel to Towers @ t2t.org)