1948 ~ 2020
Dee Benson, 72, passed away at his Sandy home on Monday, Nov. 30 from brain cancer. The cancer was discovered in late March, at the beginning of the pandemic, when he was riding his bicycle to Saltair and his bike kept leaning to the left. Tests revealed an inoperable, incurable, fast-moving tumor that in the next eight months greatly affected his mobility, but did not stop him from going to his office in the federal courthouse in a wheelchair until just days before the end.
Dee was born Aug. 25, 1948 to Gilbert and Beryl Despain Benson. He grew up in Sandy, attended Jordan High School, went on an LDS mission to Sweden and graduated with a P.E. degree from BYU in 1973. His plan to coach high school soccer changed abruptly when he was accepted into the charter class of the BYU law school in 1973. He graduated three years later in the top ten of his class and was editor of the law review. He had a brief career as a professional soccer player when he was one of four native-born Americans who made the roster of the Salt Lake Golden Spikers, Utah's first pro soccer franchise, in the summer of 1976. Then the law took over.
After working for the Salt Lake law firm of Snow, Christensen & Martineau - interrupted by a short stint in Saudi Arabia to work for an American construction company and pay off law school debts - he moved to Washington D.C. and joined Senator Orrin Hatch's staff as legal counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He later was Sen. Hatch's chief of staff for two years, followed by a year as counsel to the Iran-Contra investigating committee. From there he moved to the Department of Justice as an Associate Deputy Attorney General, the No. 3 position in the A.G.'s office. He returned to Utah in 1989 when he was appointed U.S. Attorney for Utah by President George H.W. Bush. He always said he had the best jobs in the legal world, although he took a pay cut for every one. It helped that he was devoid of being materialistic. He drove the Ford F-150 pickup truck he inherited from his brother Gordy for 16 years and 394,000 miles.
In 1991 he was nominated by President Bush to be a federal judge for the District of Utah. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and served on the federal bench for the past 29 years. He loved the fact America is governed by the rule of law. The concept of partisan or activist judges mystified him. His law clerks, some 64 of them, were his second family, as loyal to him as he was to them. He was Chief Judge for the Utah District from 1999 to 2006. He taught at both the BYU and University of Utah law schools, and from 2004 to 2011 he was appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court to serve on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court in Washington, D.C. and join the fight against terror.
He was a big fan and admirer of Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Willie Nelson and Seven bicycles. He liked fixing sprinklers, for some reason. He never met a dog he didn't love. His mentors were Rex Lee and Hal Christensen. His generosity was legendary and mostly silent.
Nothing transcended his love for his children, daughters Angie, Natalie and Katie, and son Luke. He is survived by them, along with the girls' spouses Spencer Vriens, Micah Mangrum, Shawn McLennan and his ten grandchildren, London, Mick, Ashley, River, Addie, Benson, Lucy, Izzy, Lila and Jude, and one on the way. He is also survived by his sister Karen and his identical twin brother Lee.
Funeral services will be held Friday, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m. Due to COVID-19, live attendance will be limited to specified family members. To stream the services remotely, and to leave condolences, stories and memories, go to this link: https://www.jenkins-soffe.com/obituaries/obituary-listings, and click on "Dee Benson."
In lieu of flowers, turn on a Willie Nelson song and go for a bike ride.