James Dean Bench

James Dean Bench, father, grandfather, husband and friend, passed away at home, surrounded by family, on August 3, 2026, at the age of 95. Jim was born December 21, 1930, in Hiawatha, Utah to Dean Watson Bench and Frances Wonnacott Bench. Jim was an exceptionally bright child. With his father teaching him to read at an early age, he was able to skip first grade, and he joked that he would have skipped second grade had he known how to write. As a boy, Jim spent many summers in Fairview, Utah, and up the canyon at his family’s cabin. There, he gained a deep love for the mountains, nature, and the Native American culture. He enjoyed countless adventures on the mountain, including horseback riding and fishing. He and his brothers, accompanied by their dog, Spot, would sometimes infuriate their mother by riding on top of the family car. Jim had a natural gift for music. He learned to play the piano, and later the trumpet during junior high and high school. He was elected the student body president at Lincoln Junior High and had his first job at a local grocery store when he was only 14. After graduating from East High School in 1948, Jim attended the University of Utah and was elected president of his freshman class. The following year, he was elected again as the sophomore class president. In 1950, Jim took two years off school to serve a mission in England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While there, he served as both branch president and district president of the area. When his mission ended, Jim spent an additional seven weeks traveling. Jim remained a faithful member of his religion his entire life, serving as bishop, a member of the bishopric, a high counselor, a member of the stake presidency, a gospel doctrine teacher, and a temple worker in the San Diego Temple. Upon returning from his mission, Jim resumed college and graduated in 1954 with a degree in invertebrate zoology. He later attended dental school at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in San Francisco, California. While still in college, Jim sang in a quartet, even winning first place at a spring song fest. In 1954, after singing at a homecoming dance, Jim convinced one of his friends to switch dancing partners; Jim then danced with Marion Greaves. She would become the love of his life, and they were married a year later on June 21, 1955, in the Salt Lake Temple. The years 1956 and 1957 brought the birth of their two daughters, Diane and Laurie. Jim finished dental school in 1958 and was then called to Germany to serve as a dentist for the United States Army. The family lived there for three years where he learned the German language, which he still spoke occasionally, even until shortly before he passed away. In 1961, Jim took his family to Washington State, where he continued to serve as a captain in the Army. A year later, the family moved to San Diego where he and Marion purchased their first home. Jim loved their Panorama Drive home and spent hours in the huge yard, filled with fruit trees, lily ponds, flowers, and a pool. This is where he truly developed his ‘green thumb’ for which he became known. Both the yard and home were filled with family pets, including, dogs, rabbits, cats, guinea pigs, birds, rats, and mice. Jim began his private dental practice in 1962 with Marion helping in the office. Jim earned his pilot’s license in 1974 and made several flights to places such as Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Jim and Marion began construction on their cabin in Fairview Canyon in 1977. This took several years to complete, with family members carefully selecting perfect rocks for the center fireplace. Jim and Marion named their cabin Wildewood, and would spend many summers there, with doors always open to visitors. There, Jim became an expert in woodworking, crafting the cabinets for the cabin himself. His skill in woodworking led him to make his own in-house woodshop, where he created everything from furniture to clocks to pens. In 1995, Jim retired from dentistry and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he and Marion spent the next 30 years. He spent part of this time working part-time for See’s Candies and volunteering at the LDS conference center. Jim had many talents, hobbies, and interests, including reading, woodworking, bead-making, jewelry-making, flying, gardening, quilting, and later in life, building LEGO sets. He was dedicated to his profession, his family, and his religion, and remained an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his entire life. His love for his Savior ran deep. Jim is survived by his beloved wife, Marion Bench; brothers Ruel (Carol) Bench and David (Ada) Bench; daughters Diane (Joseph) Reese and Laurie (James) Hollman; grandchildren Tiffany Johnson, James Reese, Heather Hollman, Jennifer Christensen, Lindsay Collinwood, Whitney Catmull, and Meagan Pendleton; and 20 great-grandchildren. James Dean Bench was an exceptional man and will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but those who knew him best know that he is not really gone - merely waiting nearby.

James Dean Bench

December 21, 1930 - August 3, 2026