Ida Benning

IDA R BENNING.; born March 13, 1921; passed away March 4, 2012. Parents, Antonia Rosario Rizzuto (d. 1945) and Rafaela Barone (d. 1979); brothers, Frank (d. 1976) (Marietta Benincasa) and Giuseppe (Joe) (d. 1979) (Armenia DeNisi); sisters, Mary (d. 2002) (Achille Lucarelli), Rosina (d. 1976) (Eugenio Tenuta); born in Mangone, Calabria, Italy. Husband, Frank P. Benning (d. Setepmber 6, 1998); children, Gary (Sheryle) Benning (Waterford, MI) and Pat Benincasa (St. Paul, MN). Ida emigrated to the United States in 1927 and lived in Pontiac, MI, where her family resided on South Blvd. She graduated from Pontiac High in 1938. She worked at GM Truck and Bus in the early 1940's until her marriage to Frank in 1944. Just after their marriage, they operated the Westacres Grocery in Commerce. In the early 1950's, Ida and Frank purchased and operated the Florida Bar on Woodward, just north of the RR tracks. Later, they purchased and operated the Avenue Bar on Oakland Avenue, near Wide Track. During this time, Ida also completed classes at U of M to obtain her Realtor's License and later sold real estate for Clark Realty. Ida and Frank built Airway Lanes in 1961. After retiring in 1984, they lived winters in Sarasota, FL, until 1998. She was a parishioner at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church, Waterford, a member of the Red Hat Society, a volunteer at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Gift Shop, and a member of the US Navy League. Ida also was a bowler, liked to golf and play cards and loved spending time with her grandkids, (Frank Benning, Nicole Benning, and Katie Oberman) and great grandkids, (Destini Santiago, Ireland and Makenzie Benning, and Dylan and Emily Stewart), enjoying their intelligence and silliness immensely. She always made sure that she had ice cream and chocolate for them, and enjoyed slipping money into their pockets. Ida also enjoyed spending time with relatives and special friends, often going out with Gloria Bonfiglio and Mary McKinstry. She also had a great sense of dry humor and was known to make funny observations and comments. She was very close to several nieces and enjoyed the company of Janie and Gino Appoloni, Lorraine and Dan Talercio, and Connie and Tom Powers. She also enjoyed the company of Frank and Mary Tenuta and Don Mary Lucarelli, speaking of all of them often. Ida was the last of the Italians in the family to emigrate into the USA and was proud to be an American. A Memorial Mass will be held Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church. The family will receive friends 10:30 a.m. until the time of the memorial mass at 11 a.m. Interment All Saints Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Lourdes Campus. Envelopes available at the church. There will be a luncheon at Airway Lanes following the service. Arrangements by Donelson, Johns and Evans Funeral Home, Waterford.