Walter L BENNINGHOFF

25 JAN 1930 - 23 JUN 2021

• BIRTH: 25 JAN 1930, South Bend, St Joseph, IN
• DEATH: 23 JUN 2021, Southfield Village Nursing Center, South Bend, IN

INDEX

[N30426] Walter L. Benninghoff
January 25, 1930 ~ June 23, 2021 (age 91)

Walter L. Benninghoff, 91 years old, passed away at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at Southfield Village, South Bend. Walter was born on January 25, 1930 in South Bend to the late Carthel and Gertrude (Johnson) Benninghoff. He has remained a lifelong resident of South Bend. On April 25, 1953 in South Bend, Walter and Mitsuko Matsumoto were united in marriage. His wife preceded him in death after 61 years. Walter is survived by his two children, Gail (David) Waltman of South Bend and Craig (Karen) Benninghoff of South Bend; eight grandchildren, Jessica (Tim) Concannon, Nicole (Casey) Sponseller, Sarah (Josh) Pemberton, Katie (Mike) Harnish, Jenny Waltman, Erin Waltman, Ryan Waltman, and William Waltman; ten great grandchildren; sister, Dixie Fish of Mishawaka; and brother, Eugene (Sandra) Benninghoff of Kewanna. One sister, Lila Grant, preceded him in death. Walter served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War from 1948-1952. After serving, he joined the South Bend Police Department from 1953-1985 serving as an officer and then as a Captain of the Detective Bureau. From 1985-1995, he worked in the security department at Memorial Hospital. Outside of his work, Walter had many hobbies that he loved to share with his family. He took up woodworking at a young age and made the cradle each of his grandchildren slept in as infants. As a child, he made his own live bait box for crickets to take fishing, which he even used as an adult when he took out his boat with his children, and later his grandchildren. Walter loved being outdoors and when his wasn’t fishing, he could be found in his backyard where he had an extensive garden. His half-acre yard was lined with overflowing flower beds which surrounded his pear trees, self-built grape arbor, and a fenced in fruit and vegetable patch that included tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, and much more. Walter was a hard-worker and renovated and added on to the house he shared with his wife and two kids throughout the years. Much of what you saw at their house he made or grew himself. He also enjoyed watching boxing and perusing Reader’s Digest, mostly for jokes to share with his grandkids. A funeral service for immediate and extended family will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 28, 2021 at Grace United Methodist Church, 3012 S. Twyckenham Drive, South Bend, family arriving at 10:00 a.m. Public visitation will be held on Sunday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel, 3718 S. Michigan Street, South Bend. Entombment will take place at Riverview Cemetery, South Bend. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Walter L. Benninghoff may be donated to Grace United Methodist Church, 3012 S. Twyckenham Drive, South Bend, IN 46614 or to Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545. Online condolences may be offered to the Benninghoff family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.