ERIC BENSCH
1955-2019
Eric passed away suddenly on the morning of Sunday, April 28 at home. Born to Ferdinand and Gertrud Bensch in Calgary, Alberta, on March 25, 1955, Eric was the youngest of six children. Eric attended the University of Calgary (BA in religious studies) and North American Baptist Seminary (MA in counseling). While traveling in East Asia, he met and wooed Beth (Malcolm) and they married in 1980. They lived together throughout the United States and Canada and spent a year in the Dominican Republic. They moved to their current home in Gig Harbor, WA in 2009. Eric worked as a marriage and family therapist and for the last 20 years as a vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Eric valued loving and honest relationships and lived this out by example. He was a strong advocate of regular family reunions, researched the family genealogy, and expanded the circle of relatives who gathered. Eric gave good hugs always and never hesitated to tell those that he loved how much they meant to them. His laugh was easy and his smile sincere. His wife, daughter, and son were his greatest joys and he never let them doubt this.
Eric's faith was a constant driver of his actions. With an overwhelming belief that the love of God should be extended to all, he spoke up for others without hesitation. He was long a supporter of inclusive and accepting churches, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights and human rights of all kinds.
Eric saw God's creation as an extension of God's love and took his personal responsibility to care for the world to heart. Time spent watching the birds in the backyard, raising mason bees, camping, fly fishing, backpacking, and especially sea kayaking kept him in perpetual awe of nature. He advocated for preservation of the nearby Puget Sound waters through participation in the Friends of Burley Lagoon group, and was an enthusiastic dog-sitter. Eric recognized God's touch in all aspects of the natural world, often commenting that the low tide muds behind the house revealed a beauty equal to that of the lapping waters.
He is survived by his wife Beth, his daughter Brittany and her husband Dave, and his son Brockton as well as siblings Chuck, Wally, Gerda, Ruth and their spouses.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a contribution to one of Eric's favorite charities:
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