Obituary from: The San Antonio Express Newspaper, Oct. 30, 2013:
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of a good friend, a loving father and great brother, Larry Benson, Sr. who passed away on Monday, October 28, 2013.
Mr. Benson was born August 21, 1945 in New Orleans, Louisiana and was a 1969 graduate of Louisiana State University. He later moved to San Antonio and was a graduate of St. Mary's University where he received his Juris Doctor degree in Law in 1972.
He was the Chairman/CEO of Ingram Park Auto Center and last year's Fiesta King Rey Feo LXV. He served on many boards such as: Lone Star Capital Bank, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, and St. Anthony Catholic School Foundation. During his law practice, Mr. Benson served on the board of the following foundations: Epilepsy Foundation in 1973-1977, Legacy Board for Incarnate Word University from 1980-1984, Boys Scouts of America from 1988 - 1990, Gross Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank. Mr. Benson was President and General Partner for the San Antonio Riders Football team.
He is survived by his son, Larry Benson, Jr., his brother, Tom Benson, Jr., and many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.
SERVICES
Funeral Mass will be offered at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church located at 4201 De Zavala Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78249 followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.
"AUTO DEALER WAS REY FEO, KNOWN FOR GENEROSITY"
By Neal Morton : October 28, 2013 : Updated: October 30, 2013 9:57am:
Larry Benson Sr., this year's Rey Feo and the owner of Ingram Park Auto Center, died Monday.
He was 68 and is survived by his son, Larry Benson II.
Benson was best known for his car dealerships, but he also earned a reputation for his charitable giving and a commitment to improving education and job opportunities in the area. As Rey Feo LXV, he raised more than $300,000 for college scholarships, and he recently donated $1.5 million to St. Anthony's Catholic School for construction of a new building.
In an interview in April, Benson, who suffered a stroke Monday while traveling in Italy, recalled the best advice he received from his parents.
"No one can ever take away your education," said Benson, whose brother Tom Benson is the primary owner of the New Orleans Saints.
After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1969, Larry Benson moved to San Antonio and received his law degree at St. Mary's University three years later. He soon accepted a spot at a local law firm but later left the position to form his own practice, in which he specialized in automobile and business transactions.
Over the years, Benson served as a board member for the Epilepsy Foundation, Boy Scouts of America and Groos Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank.
"He was an avid supporter of most everything that would help San Antonio grow," said B.J. "Red" McCombs, founder of Red McCombs Automotive Team.
He said Benson specifically wanted to help students who were the first in their family to attend college.
"He felt we could break those cycles and create more jobs and better education for our families," McCombs said. "I don't know of anything that I ever saw him refuse to support in the city."
In 1997, Benson retired from his law practice to enter the local automotive industry.
His Ingram Park Auto Center includes IPAC Nissan, IPAC Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep and IPAC Mazda, and it employs more than 130 workers, according to the dealership group's website. A call to the company's headquarters Monday night was not returned.
Benson also dabbled in the football business, though sports were always in his blood.
He was born in New Orleans on Aug. 21, 1945, one of four children and the grandnephew of Herbert Benson, an architect who helped design Tulane Stadium and co-founded the annual Sugar Bowl college football game. Tom Benson was his older brother.
Previously, Tom Benson primarily owned the San Antonio Riders, a team in the World League of American Football that the NFL partially owned in the early 1990s. The elder Benson placed his brother in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Riders, which represented part of the league's first venture with teams in the European market.
Oregon State football coach Mike Riley was the Riders' first head coach.
"I loved Larry — he had a great, great heart," Riley said. "He was so good to our staff, my family. He was just a very giving person. He and his wife ... picked up our kids and took them to the circus.
"He went out of his way to make everybody feel comfortable. He wanted a team and family atmosphere for us. I loved him. He was just an amazing guy to work for."
Like any startup, the Riders hit many stumbling blocks.
They played their first season at Alamo Stadium but couldn't sell beer there. The second year, they moved the franchise's home games to Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos but hoped to be the first football tenant of the Alamodome.
Greg Korn, business manager for the Riders during their two-season tenure, said Benson poured a lot of effort into trying to keep the franchise alive.
"Larry had a big heart and a lot of concern for his players," Korn said. "In that league, most of those guys were only making $15,000, and he tried to get those players jobs who hung around here all season."
As for the Alamodome, "one of his big disappointments was that we never got a chance to play a game there," Korn said. "We had the first press conference, but it never came together for him."
Benson also bought a franchise in the Canadian Football League and had plans to start a team, the San Antonio Texans, in 1993. The team hired the framework of a staff and made plans before folding it after about two months.
Tom Benson described his brother as an excitable sports fan.
"He loved the thrill and excitement of (a) Saints game day and the tipoff of an NBA game, especially his favorite San Antonio Spurs," the elder Benson said in a statement. "Larry's passion for business and sports was tremendous, but it was his passion for life, helping those in need and friends, that will define my brother."
[email protected]
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of a good friend, a loving father and great brother, Larry Benson, Sr. who passed away on Monday, October 28, 2013.
Mr. Benson was born August 21, 1945 in New Orleans, Louisiana and was a 1969 graduate of Louisiana State University. He later moved to San Antonio and was a graduate of St. Mary's University where he received his Juris Doctor degree in Law in 1972.
He was the Chairman/CEO of Ingram Park Auto Center and last year's Fiesta King Rey Feo LXV. He served on many boards such as: Lone Star Capital Bank, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, and St. Anthony Catholic School Foundation. During his law practice, Mr. Benson served on the board of the following foundations: Epilepsy Foundation in 1973-1977, Legacy Board for Incarnate Word University from 1980-1984, Boys Scouts of America from 1988 - 1990, Gross Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank. Mr. Benson was President and General Partner for the San Antonio Riders Football team.
He is survived by his son, Larry Benson, Jr., his brother, Tom Benson, Jr., and many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.
SERVICES
Funeral Mass will be offered at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church located at 4201 De Zavala Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78249 followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.
"AUTO DEALER WAS REY FEO, KNOWN FOR GENEROSITY"
By Neal Morton : October 28, 2013 : Updated: October 30, 2013 9:57am:
Larry Benson Sr., this year's Rey Feo and the owner of Ingram Park Auto Center, died Monday.
He was 68 and is survived by his son, Larry Benson II.
Benson was best known for his car dealerships, but he also earned a reputation for his charitable giving and a commitment to improving education and job opportunities in the area. As Rey Feo LXV, he raised more than $300,000 for college scholarships, and he recently donated $1.5 million to St. Anthony's Catholic School for construction of a new building.
In an interview in April, Benson, who suffered a stroke Monday while traveling in Italy, recalled the best advice he received from his parents.
"No one can ever take away your education," said Benson, whose brother Tom Benson is the primary owner of the New Orleans Saints.
After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1969, Larry Benson moved to San Antonio and received his law degree at St. Mary's University three years later. He soon accepted a spot at a local law firm but later left the position to form his own practice, in which he specialized in automobile and business transactions.
Over the years, Benson served as a board member for the Epilepsy Foundation, Boy Scouts of America and Groos Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank.
"He was an avid supporter of most everything that would help San Antonio grow," said B.J. "Red" McCombs, founder of Red McCombs Automotive Team.
He said Benson specifically wanted to help students who were the first in their family to attend college.
"He felt we could break those cycles and create more jobs and better education for our families," McCombs said. "I don't know of anything that I ever saw him refuse to support in the city."
In 1997, Benson retired from his law practice to enter the local automotive industry.
His Ingram Park Auto Center includes IPAC Nissan, IPAC Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep and IPAC Mazda, and it employs more than 130 workers, according to the dealership group's website. A call to the company's headquarters Monday night was not returned.
Benson also dabbled in the football business, though sports were always in his blood.
He was born in New Orleans on Aug. 21, 1945, one of four children and the grandnephew of Herbert Benson, an architect who helped design Tulane Stadium and co-founded the annual Sugar Bowl college football game. Tom Benson was his older brother.
Previously, Tom Benson primarily owned the San Antonio Riders, a team in the World League of American Football that the NFL partially owned in the early 1990s. The elder Benson placed his brother in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Riders, which represented part of the league's first venture with teams in the European market.
Oregon State football coach Mike Riley was the Riders' first head coach.
"I loved Larry — he had a great, great heart," Riley said. "He was so good to our staff, my family. He was just a very giving person. He and his wife ... picked up our kids and took them to the circus.
"He went out of his way to make everybody feel comfortable. He wanted a team and family atmosphere for us. I loved him. He was just an amazing guy to work for."
Like any startup, the Riders hit many stumbling blocks.
They played their first season at Alamo Stadium but couldn't sell beer there. The second year, they moved the franchise's home games to Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos but hoped to be the first football tenant of the Alamodome.
Greg Korn, business manager for the Riders during their two-season tenure, said Benson poured a lot of effort into trying to keep the franchise alive.
"Larry had a big heart and a lot of concern for his players," Korn said. "In that league, most of those guys were only making $15,000, and he tried to get those players jobs who hung around here all season."
As for the Alamodome, "one of his big disappointments was that we never got a chance to play a game there," Korn said. "We had the first press conference, but it never came together for him."
Benson also bought a franchise in the Canadian Football League and had plans to start a team, the San Antonio Texans, in 1993. The team hired the framework of a staff and made plans before folding it after about two months.
Tom Benson described his brother as an excitable sports fan.
"He loved the thrill and excitement of (a) Saints game day and the tipoff of an NBA game, especially his favorite San Antonio Spurs," the elder Benson said in a statement. "Larry's passion for business and sports was tremendous, but it was his passion for life, helping those in need and friends, that will define my brother."
[email protected]
Obituary from: The San Antonio Express Newspaper, Oct. 30, 2013:
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of a good friend, a loving father and great brother, Larry Benson, Sr. who passed away on Monday, October 28, 2013.
Mr. Benson was born August 21, 1945 in New Orleans, Louisiana and was a 1969 graduate of Louisiana State University. He later moved to San Antonio and was a graduate of St. Mary's University where he received his Juris Doctor degree in Law in 1972.
He was the Chairman/CEO of Ingram Park Auto Center and last year's Fiesta King Rey Feo LXV. He served on many boards such as: Lone Star Capital Bank, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, and St. Anthony Catholic School Foundation. During his law practice, Mr. Benson served on the board of the following foundations: Epilepsy Foundation in 1973-1977, Legacy Board for Incarnate Word University from 1980-1984, Boys Scouts of America from 1988 - 1990, Gross Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank. Mr. Benson was President and General Partner for the San Antonio Riders Football team.
He is survived by his son, Larry Benson, Jr., his brother, Tom Benson, Jr., and many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.
SERVICES
Funeral Mass will be offered at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church located at 4201 De Zavala Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78249 followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.
"AUTO DEALER WAS REY FEO, KNOWN FOR GENEROSITY"
By Neal Morton : October 28, 2013 : Updated: October 30, 2013 9:57am:
Larry Benson Sr., this year's Rey Feo and the owner of Ingram Park Auto Center, died Monday.
He was 68 and is survived by his son, Larry Benson II.
Benson was best known for his car dealerships, but he also earned a reputation for his charitable giving and a commitment to improving education and job opportunities in the area. As Rey Feo LXV, he raised more than $300,000 for college scholarships, and he recently donated $1.5 million to St. Anthony's Catholic School for construction of a new building.
In an interview in April, Benson, who suffered a stroke Monday while traveling in Italy, recalled the best advice he received from his parents.
"No one can ever take away your education," said Benson, whose brother Tom Benson is the primary owner of the New Orleans Saints.
After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1969, Larry Benson moved to San Antonio and received his law degree at St. Mary's University three years later. He soon accepted a spot at a local law firm but later left the position to form his own practice, in which he specialized in automobile and business transactions.
Over the years, Benson served as a board member for the Epilepsy Foundation, Boy Scouts of America and Groos Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank.
"He was an avid supporter of most everything that would help San Antonio grow," said B.J. "Red" McCombs, founder of Red McCombs Automotive Team.
He said Benson specifically wanted to help students who were the first in their family to attend college.
"He felt we could break those cycles and create more jobs and better education for our families," McCombs said. "I don't know of anything that I ever saw him refuse to support in the city."
In 1997, Benson retired from his law practice to enter the local automotive industry.
His Ingram Park Auto Center includes IPAC Nissan, IPAC Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep and IPAC Mazda, and it employs more than 130 workers, according to the dealership group's website. A call to the company's headquarters Monday night was not returned.
Benson also dabbled in the football business, though sports were always in his blood.
He was born in New Orleans on Aug. 21, 1945, one of four children and the grandnephew of Herbert Benson, an architect who helped design Tulane Stadium and co-founded the annual Sugar Bowl college football game. Tom Benson was his older brother.
Previously, Tom Benson primarily owned the San Antonio Riders, a team in the World League of American Football that the NFL partially owned in the early 1990s. The elder Benson placed his brother in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Riders, which represented part of the league's first venture with teams in the European market.
Oregon State football coach Mike Riley was the Riders' first head coach.
"I loved Larry — he had a great, great heart," Riley said. "He was so good to our staff, my family. He was just a very giving person. He and his wife ... picked up our kids and took them to the circus.
"He went out of his way to make everybody feel comfortable. He wanted a team and family atmosphere for us. I loved him. He was just an amazing guy to work for."
Like any startup, the Riders hit many stumbling blocks.
They played their first season at Alamo Stadium but couldn't sell beer there. The second year, they moved the franchise's home games to Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos but hoped to be the first football tenant of the Alamodome.
Greg Korn, business manager for the Riders during their two-season tenure, said Benson poured a lot of effort into trying to keep the franchise alive.
"Larry had a big heart and a lot of concern for his players," Korn said. "In that league, most of those guys were only making $15,000, and he tried to get those players jobs who hung around here all season."
As for the Alamodome, "one of his big disappointments was that we never got a chance to play a game there," Korn said. "We had the first press conference, but it never came together for him."
Benson also bought a franchise in the Canadian Football League and had plans to start a team, the San Antonio Texans, in 1993. The team hired the framework of a staff and made plans before folding it after about two months.
Tom Benson described his brother as an excitable sports fan.
"He loved the thrill and excitement of (a) Saints game day and the tipoff of an NBA game, especially his favorite San Antonio Spurs," the elder Benson said in a statement. "Larry's passion for business and sports was tremendous, but it was his passion for life, helping those in need and friends, that will define my brother."
[email protected]
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of a good friend, a loving father and great brother, Larry Benson, Sr. who passed away on Monday, October 28, 2013.
Mr. Benson was born August 21, 1945 in New Orleans, Louisiana and was a 1969 graduate of Louisiana State University. He later moved to San Antonio and was a graduate of St. Mary's University where he received his Juris Doctor degree in Law in 1972.
He was the Chairman/CEO of Ingram Park Auto Center and last year's Fiesta King Rey Feo LXV. He served on many boards such as: Lone Star Capital Bank, Christus Santa Rosa Hospital, and St. Anthony Catholic School Foundation. During his law practice, Mr. Benson served on the board of the following foundations: Epilepsy Foundation in 1973-1977, Legacy Board for Incarnate Word University from 1980-1984, Boys Scouts of America from 1988 - 1990, Gross Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank. Mr. Benson was President and General Partner for the San Antonio Riders Football team.
He is survived by his son, Larry Benson, Jr., his brother, Tom Benson, Jr., and many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.
SERVICES
Funeral Mass will be offered at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2013 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church located at 4201 De Zavala Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78249 followed by a reception in the Parish Hall.
"AUTO DEALER WAS REY FEO, KNOWN FOR GENEROSITY"
By Neal Morton : October 28, 2013 : Updated: October 30, 2013 9:57am:
Larry Benson Sr., this year's Rey Feo and the owner of Ingram Park Auto Center, died Monday.
He was 68 and is survived by his son, Larry Benson II.
Benson was best known for his car dealerships, but he also earned a reputation for his charitable giving and a commitment to improving education and job opportunities in the area. As Rey Feo LXV, he raised more than $300,000 for college scholarships, and he recently donated $1.5 million to St. Anthony's Catholic School for construction of a new building.
In an interview in April, Benson, who suffered a stroke Monday while traveling in Italy, recalled the best advice he received from his parents.
"No one can ever take away your education," said Benson, whose brother Tom Benson is the primary owner of the New Orleans Saints.
After graduating from Louisiana State University in 1969, Larry Benson moved to San Antonio and received his law degree at St. Mary's University three years later. He soon accepted a spot at a local law firm but later left the position to form his own practice, in which he specialized in automobile and business transactions.
Over the years, Benson served as a board member for the Epilepsy Foundation, Boy Scouts of America and Groos Bank NA and Kelly Field National Bank.
"He was an avid supporter of most everything that would help San Antonio grow," said B.J. "Red" McCombs, founder of Red McCombs Automotive Team.
He said Benson specifically wanted to help students who were the first in their family to attend college.
"He felt we could break those cycles and create more jobs and better education for our families," McCombs said. "I don't know of anything that I ever saw him refuse to support in the city."
In 1997, Benson retired from his law practice to enter the local automotive industry.
His Ingram Park Auto Center includes IPAC Nissan, IPAC Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep and IPAC Mazda, and it employs more than 130 workers, according to the dealership group's website. A call to the company's headquarters Monday night was not returned.
Benson also dabbled in the football business, though sports were always in his blood.
He was born in New Orleans on Aug. 21, 1945, one of four children and the grandnephew of Herbert Benson, an architect who helped design Tulane Stadium and co-founded the annual Sugar Bowl college football game. Tom Benson was his older brother.
Previously, Tom Benson primarily owned the San Antonio Riders, a team in the World League of American Football that the NFL partially owned in the early 1990s. The elder Benson placed his brother in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Riders, which represented part of the league's first venture with teams in the European market.
Oregon State football coach Mike Riley was the Riders' first head coach.
"I loved Larry — he had a great, great heart," Riley said. "He was so good to our staff, my family. He was just a very giving person. He and his wife ... picked up our kids and took them to the circus.
"He went out of his way to make everybody feel comfortable. He wanted a team and family atmosphere for us. I loved him. He was just an amazing guy to work for."
Like any startup, the Riders hit many stumbling blocks.
They played their first season at Alamo Stadium but couldn't sell beer there. The second year, they moved the franchise's home games to Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos but hoped to be the first football tenant of the Alamodome.
Greg Korn, business manager for the Riders during their two-season tenure, said Benson poured a lot of effort into trying to keep the franchise alive.
"Larry had a big heart and a lot of concern for his players," Korn said. "In that league, most of those guys were only making $15,000, and he tried to get those players jobs who hung around here all season."
As for the Alamodome, "one of his big disappointments was that we never got a chance to play a game there," Korn said. "We had the first press conference, but it never came together for him."
Benson also bought a franchise in the Canadian Football League and had plans to start a team, the San Antonio Texans, in 1993. The team hired the framework of a staff and made plans before folding it after about two months.
Tom Benson described his brother as an excitable sports fan.
"He loved the thrill and excitement of (a) Saints game day and the tipoff of an NBA game, especially his favorite San Antonio Spurs," the elder Benson said in a statement. "Larry's passion for business and sports was tremendous, but it was his passion for life, helping those in need and friends, that will define my brother."
[email protected]
