Herbert Lankford Benson, Jr. died peacefully in his sleep at his home on April 17, 2014. Born June 2, 1926 in Fort Pierce, Florida to Ruth Ann Montgomery Benson and Herbert Lankford Benson, he grew up in Columbia, South Carolina where he attended A.C. Moore, Hand Junior High School and was graduated in 1942 from Dreher High School. A child of the Great Depression, Herbert learned industry and self reliance at an early age. In 1944 at only age 18, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce from the University of South Carolina.

Knowing that the draft soon would call him to service, Herbert enlisted and served in the 43rd Division, 1st Calvary Division in the United States Army from December 1944 to November 1946. He served under General Douglas MacArthur while stationed at field headquarters in Cabanatuan, Philippines. Stationed in Japan, Herbert was aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on the morning of September 2, 1945, where he witnessed the historic signing of surrender documents only three weeks after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As World War II came to a close, he served as a Public Information Officer and combat photographer.

Returning to Columbia, Herbert served until his retirement in 1984 as President of Benson Oil Company. During his tenure, the company pioneered the business practice of adding retail and fast food service to gasoline stations. From 1985 through 1989, Herbert served the United States Trustee Bankruptcy Courts as special adviser and was a receiver for Master In Equity.

He served as president of The National Association of Oil Jobbers; the South Carolina Oil Jobbers Association (now South Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association); The South Carolina Oil Fuel Institute; the Executives Association of Greater Columbia; The Five Points Civitan Club; The Evening Music Club; The Bill Tuller Chapter of The American Wine Society; and the Columbia Oyster Club.

He also was a past member of the Unocal Jobber/Management Conference; the Executive Commission of the South Carolina Petroleum Council; the Body of Trustees for the United Fund; the Executive Committee of the American Legion (SC Post 6) and the Columbia Choral Society.

A faithful member of Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Herbert was an active choir member since 1957. Blessed with abundant energy, Herbert moved his family in the 1950's from old Columbia to the countryside where he nurtured his young daughters with the experiences of rural life and the lessons of hard work and self-sufficiency; decades later, he laughed when they said that they had lived at "summer camp." He mastered a diverse array of hobbies including bee keeping, cheese making, wood working, residential construction and landscaping, leather tooling, square dance calling, choral singing, exotic cooking, organic gardening and operating a small farm.

Herbert is survived by his wife, Barbara Quick Long Benson; his daughters Cynthia Stanley Benson Clarke (Sam), Frieda Spearman Benson Grimball (Billy), and Sara Elizabeth Phillips Benson (Don); grandchildren Marian Stanley Grimball Young (Ron), Major William Heyward Grimball USMC (Cate), William Byrd Stanley Henriksen, Mark Herbert Phillips Henriksen, Donald Edward Benson and Herbert Lankford Benson II; great grandson Paul Heyward Grimball; step children Diane Ellen Smith, Joe Bowerman Long III, Paul Christian Long (Kimberly); step grandchildren Matthew Steven Eagle (Yumi), Bryan Douglas Eagle, Carter Maxwell Long, Christian Palmer Long; and brother William Jerry Benson. He was predeceased by son Herbert Lankford Benson III; daughter Anna Lynn Benson; brother James Pickens Benson and sister Mary Ann Benson Brown.

The family wishes to thank Kristen McCluney of Agape Hospice and Patilisa Jackson for their expert and loving care.

Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service on Saturday, April 19th at 1:00 P.M. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Columbia. Visitation will be held in the courtyard after the service. Members of the Executives Association of Greater Columbia are invited to sit together at the church as honorary pallbearers. A private interment service will be held at Greenlawn Memorial Park. Shives Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Memorials may be made to: St Paul's Lutheran Church, 1715 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201, Columbia, South Carolina, 29201; or the Oliver Gospel Mission, 1100 Taylor Street, Columbia South Carolina, 29201.