Regina L. Benson

Regina L. Benson of McLean, Virginia, died peacefully on Saturday, January 25, 2025. She was
born in 1919 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of nine children of Michele and Filomina
Libetti. After graduating from high school and St. Mary’s School of Nursing (where she was
class president), she enlisted in the Army Nursing Corps along with two classmates who would
become lifelong friends. Her service in World War II took her to Hawaii, Okinawa, Hiroshima,
Kobe and Kyoto. She believed in patriotism and service to her country and to others. For
Regina, the most meaningful part of her Army nursing career was offering comfort to dying
soldiers, ensuring they were not alone in their final moments.

She met her future husband, William R. Benson, while both were stationed in Hawaii. After the
war, she was anxious to return home and get on with her life. Reggie and Bill were married and
settled in Wyckoff, New Jersey, where they raised their three children and were deeply involved
in community affairs, including in her case Wyckoff Women’s Club, Meals on Wheels, election
officer, rosary leader at a nursing home and Church of the Nativity. Also, she was a hospital
surgical nurse before her children were born and later returned to work on the oncology floor at
St. Joseph Hospital.

At age 95 Regina moved to McLean to live with her daughter and became active in American
Legion Post 270 and an active member of Our Lady of Good Counsel and later of St. John the
Beloved. In her later years, as a representative of the “Greatest Generation” who served in
World War II, she received numerous awards and participated in wreath layings at the National
World War II Memorial and in the National Veterans Parade, was honored by the Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Military Women’s Memorial, the PBS National Memorial Day
Concert and the Armed Services YMCA.

Regina enjoyed playing tennis, bridge (until she was 104), knitting (including for church
fundraisers and the CBs), travel, mini-golf and rooting for the Yankees. She was always curious
and had a sharp wit.

She is survived by her sons, Roger (and wife Becky) of Wyckoff, New Jersey and Jay (and wife
Dale) of Brookfield, Vermont; daughter, Phyllis of McLean, Virginia; grandchildren, Meredith,
Amanda, Randy and Tim; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass for Mrs. Benson will be held in the chapel at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic
Church, 8601 Wolftrap Road, Vienna, Virginia on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. to
which all are welcome. Internment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In
lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mrs. Benson to St. Jude’s Children’s Research
Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 https://www.stjude.org/
or Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516 https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ would be appreciated by the family.