In Memoriam ~ Benn W. Jesser
	1915-2011
	We note with sadness the death of Benn Jesser, long time trustee of Stoneleigh-Burnham School and father of Bonnie Benn, Class of 1963S. Benn passed away peacefully on July 13th. He was 96 years old. A trustee of Stoneleigh-Burnham School for thirty years, Benn served with distinction the School he loved so dearly. Born in 1915, Benn Wainwright Jesser attended a local high school in New Jersey before earning his undergraduate degree from Princeton University in chemical engineering cum laude in 1936. After working for two years at Dupont Chemical Industries Benn returned to Princeton for a masters degree and served on the faculty there as an instructor of chemical engineering. After WWII he built numerous oil refineries and chemical plants for the M.W. Kellogg Company. He later joined the Hoechst-Uhde Corp as president of operations in the United States. Along the way he married Alice Abel with whom he had four children including Bonnie Benn who graduated from Stoneleigh-Prospect Hill in the Class of 1963. When Bonnie died tragically in 1965 Benn, who had already been involved with the School as an active parent and donor, honored her with ongoing service to Stoneleigh-Burnham School. He built “Bonnie’s House” which overlooks the athletic fields on which she spent so much of her time as a student athlete. As a trustee, and later as president of the Board of Trustees, Benn worked tirelessly to raise money, connect people to Stoneleigh-Burnham, strengthen the Board, and help lead the School in new directions. Benn lost his beloved wife Alice in 1953. He later married Darcy Coogan Clark and they had one daughter together. In 1982 he married Barbara Jenter with whom he enjoyed the past 29 years. Benn is survived by Barbara, his brother, Richard, 4 children, 7 step-children, 31 grandchildren and 53 great grandchildren. Like he did in all things, Benn put his keen mind and kind heart to work addressing Stoneleigh-Burnham School’s pressing needs. He pulled people together and facilitated the development of scholarships, events and facilities. The number of hand-written notes he sent to parents, friends and board colleagues are too numerous to be counted. At times he was charismatically persuasive and sometimes he was simply tenacious. He loved attending events and being a part of the School’s growth. He was last on campus in 2008 at the ripe old age of 93 and just this year attended his 75th reunion at Princeton. Head of School Sally Mixsell recalled, “Benn always had the School’s best interest at heart. He brought experience to the table but he also brought insight and optimism to his work on the Board.” Former head and longtime Stoneleigh-Burnham teacher, Paul Bassett remembered Benn as “an enthusiastic supporter of the School whose blood ran blue and white most days when it wasn’t running Princeton orange and black.” Paul went on to say that Benn was a charismatic figure who believed that beyond credentials, enthusiasm was the key to success. Echoing the sentiments of many who knew him, Board member Laura Richards ’60 quipped, “When Benn thought something was important it usually got done.” As a tribute to Benn, a campaign was launched to build a sorely needed science center on Stoneleigh-Burnham’s campus. The building, which was dedicated in 2004, sits majestically on the hill here at 574 Bernardston Road and now bears his name. While his sweet smile and jovial disposition will be missed, the memories of this stalwart optimism and unflinching dedication to Stoneleigh-Burnham School will be remembered for years to come. Benn's family has asked that donations be sent to Stoneleigh-Burnham School for those wishing to honor his memory with a gift.   A church service at The Old Paramus Reformed Church in Ridgefield, New Jersey is scheduled for Thursday, July 21 at 10 a.m., followed by interment at Hackensack Cemetery in Hackensack, New Jersey.