John F. Benison June 27, 1943 - June 20, 2021

John Freeland Benison was born on June 27, 1943 and passed away on June 20, 2021 (age 77) at Hospice of Cincinnati-East, surrounded by family and friends. John, a combat medic in the Vietnam War, served with valor, receiving two Purple Hearts and an honorable discharge. John made a post military career at Great American Surplus Lines Insurance Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, beginning in September 1979 as an Excess/Umbrella underwriter. He was one of the very first employees that helped get the division up and running. John’s hard work, dedication, and expertise in his field earned him the well-deserved title of Vice President of the Excess Brokerage Department. John led the department and wrote many different programs including the mining and trucking industries, to the opposite end of the spectrum, of underwriting nursing homes during his career.  Only one month shy of his 30^th year of dedicated employment, John retired from the company in August of 2008. John enjoyed exploring new things and places. He kept a powerful telescope handy for heavenly dynamics, which he followed closely. He traveled extensively throughout the country, able to recall places and points of interest with bewildering exactitude, even years later. He was a n aficionado of all things stereo, from reel-to-reel tape to vinyl records on high end turntables. John was a loving husband, brother-in-law, and uncle to many nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his wife of 42 years, Lynn Ann Wiener Benison, also of Cincinnati. His ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, as is befitting of those who served our nation with distinction and honor.