A funeral service will be held Monday for Edmund "Ed" C. Benton of 3330 McConnell Road, Hermitage. He passed away at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, 2014, in his residence with his wife by his side. He was 84. Born Oct. 29, 1929, in Greenville to Herman F. and Anna Landfried Benton, Mr. Benton graduated from the former Penn High School, Greenville, and in 1953 earned a degree in mathematics from Thiel College, Greenville. As a young adult, he served in the Naval Reserves in Akron. Ed began his career at Delphi Packard Electric Co. in Warren, Ohio, and later worked at the Boeing Aircraft plant in Seattle. He then returned to the area and was employed at Westinghouse Electric Corp. as an engineer, retiring after more than 40 years of service. During his tenure with Westinghouse, he worked at the former Sharon Transformer Division and traveled throughout Europe and Third World countries bringing new technology. After retirement, he served as a Mercer County substitute and vocational technology teacher and as a Butler County GED instructor. He was very involved in academic, community and religious organizations. An active member of his church, St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Hermitage, Ed served years on the consistory and teaching Sunday school. Elected to the Thiel Alumni Association Board of Directors, he worked tirelessly to promote community support of the college throughout the Shenango Valley. A member of Free and Accepted Masons Kedron Lodge 389 in West Middlesex, he dedicated his lifetime to the 53rd Pennsylvania District Masonic Lodge, supporting its purpose to make good men better. He served on the planning commission of Hermitage for 20 years and enjoyed socializing with the Westinghouse Old-Timers group. In his youth, Ed enjoyed hunting and fishing. He loved carpentry, designing and finishing out a deluxe basement, as well as single-handedly building additional rooms onto his former home on Carroll Lane. Ed is survived by his wife at home, the former Wilma Arbanas. They were married on Jan. 31, 1959. Also surviving are: three daughters, Kim Benton Crawford and her husband David, Baltimore; Karen Benton Quint and her husband Michael, Laurel, Md.; and Lyn Benton Williams and her husband Amir, San Francisco; two grandchildren, Andrew and Armani; and four nephews, Brandt Benton of Gainesville, Va.; Kyle Benton of Reynolds; Andrew Benton, Tucson, Ariz.; and Aaron Benton, Greenville. Ed was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Rodney Benton. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 159 Todd Ave., Hermitage, PA 16148. Calling hours: 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday (8-3-14) in J. BRADLEY McGONIGLE FUNERAL HOME and CREMATORY Inc., 1090 E. State St., Sharon. Service: Funeral service at 11 a.m. Monday (8-4-14) in St. Paul's United Church of Christ, Hermitage, with the Rev. Philip J. Garner, pastor of Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ, Greenville, officiating. Interment: Shenango Valley Cemetery, Greenville.