Mary Louise "Loo" (Preiato) Benjamin

Mary Louise “Loo” Benjamin, 71, of Athens, PA, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2022, at the Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre.

She was born on July 28, 1950, in Brooklyn, NY, the eldest daughter of the late Louis Richard and Joan Ruth (Flynn) Preiato.

Loo is survived by her beloved husband of 45 years; Dale, her twin sons; Jonathan Gordon Benjamin and Richard Louis Preiato Benjamin, sisters; Susan Joan Maciejewski of Clearwater, FL and Nancy D’Angelo of Carmel, NY, her aunt Hazel Assante who Loo considered a big sister, close cousin Ernest Preiato, and nephews; Danny and Jeffery Maciejewski and Michael and William D’Angelo. She is also survived by brothers-in-law; Dean Benjamin and Russell Benjamin and their families. She is also survived by many good friends that were made over the years through work and play; Kathy O’Herron McGillian, Deborah Wick, Beverly Koss Kersey, Kathy Morgan, Carolyn Learn, Amy Hoyt, and Janine Rounds, and the list goes on and on. I used to pick on her because she would go into a bathroom and walk out knowing everyone’s life history. She could talk to anyone and did.

Besides her parents, she is predeceased by her mother-in-law and father-in-law; Gordon Russell and Donna Jean (Carr) Benjamin and her good friends and neighbors; Lucille Fuller and Priscilla Ammerman.

Loo had a BA in Biology and Math from Stony Brook. She moved to this area with a medical group during the 72’ flood and stayed working at Corning Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital. In 1976, she married Dale Benjamin and they made their home on Orange Hill in Athens, PA. She then went to work at GTE Sylvania as a Supervising Tech and later as a Technician in the tungsten grade powder area, where she patented a carbo wax process which earned a Warner Award. She went back to school and earned her Master’s Degree in System Science and continued her work at Sylvania as a Computer System Analysist.

In 1991, the boys were born and she gladfully left her career to be a stay-at-home mom. She however was very active in the PTA, Boy Scouts, and became a soccer mom. Loo was undoubtedly a great mom, a loving wife, and a friend to many and will be dearly missed. RIP Loo.

Loo had many hobbies which included gardening and sewing. She enjoyed working on anyone’s genealogy, especially the Carr side of the family. She was a member of the Fine Arts Club and served as Vice President and Secretary. She was a former president of the Litchfield PTA, active in the Boy Scouts and a member of the American Chemical Society.

A Celebration of Life Service will be announced at a later date. The family is being assisted by Lowery-Urban Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Athens, PA.

Mary Louise’s wishes were for memorial donations to be made in her name to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 30386, Philadelphia, PA 19103 or www.cancer.org. The family would like to thank the staff on the 6th and 7th floor of the Guthrie Hospital for making her stay comfortable.

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