Neva Jean Benson

Neva Jean (Leeming) Benson at the age of 82, of Rochester, NY was called home to heaven to her eternal dwelling with the Lord on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

Neva was born in Rochester, NY on October 28, 1943 to John (Jack) & Gladys (Grotzinger) Leeming. She graduated from Irondequoit High School and SUNY College at Oswego. Neva started out as an elementary school teacher in the Rochester City School District until she stayed home to raise her children and then re-entered the workforce to teach in the Greece Central School District for many years before retiring in 1999 to enjoy the life of a grandmother.

Neva’s life was transformed when she came to God by faith through Jesus Christ in her early 50s and she has been serving Him since! She has been actively involved with the kids’ ministry at her church, Grace Road, in Rochester, an active member of the Community Bible Study held at Pearce Memorial Church and serving in the summers at Camp Li-Lo-Li! She was known for her kindness and generosity by all who had the pleasure of knowing her!

She was the loving wife of Gary Benson for over 59 years! She is also survived by her two sons, Jeffrey (Carrie) Benson and Jonathan (Shona) Benson and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who loved her immensely and will miss her greatly. She is pre-deceased by her parents and her sister.

Friends and family are invited to remember her life at a memorial service at Grace Road Church in Rochester, NY on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at 11am with a short reception to follow. There will be an opportunity for visitation with the family at the church beginning at 10am.

In lieu of flowers, we request that you consider donating to Camp Li-Lo-Li.  

2 Corinthians 5:1–8 
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.