Funeral services for Arvel Eugene (Gene) Bench, 82, of Greenville will be 10:00 AM, Wednesday, October 28, 2009, in Coker-Mathews Chapel with Rev. Bill Shaddox and Rev. Joel Arnold officiating. Burial with military honors will be in Memoryland Memorial Park. Visitation will be Tuesday, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the funeral home.
Mr. Bench was born May 9, 1927, in the Salem community near Greenville, to Marion Arvel Bench and Ada Voyles Bench. He graduated from Greenville High School in 1943 and attended East Texas State Teachers College in Commerce.
He served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He was in the Amphibious Forces of the Third Fleet in the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, he returned to Greenville and was employed at International Milling Company where he was Purchasing Agent and Assistant Personnel Manager.
He lived many years in Dallas, where he was in the IBM business in the early years of computers. He was employed by National Security Life Insurance Company where he was a programmer and office manager.
Gene returned to Greenville in 1982 and was employed at Fiberite. He married Florette Hamberlin in 1989 and they resided in Greenville and Gilmer, Texas. He was a Methodist.
He is survived by his wife, Florette Bench; brother, Vernon Bench; sisters Sybil Burton, Ruth Duncan, Leta Money and Martha Baughman Dial, all of Greenville.
Pallbearers will be Richard Bench, Wayne Money, David Bench, Terry Money, Vernon Bench, Jr. and Robert Duncan. Honorary pallbearers will be James Cody, Douglas Bench, Kenneth Money and Dale Money.
