Genesis Community Service Award Recipient 2011
William “Buzz” Benson is the recipient of the 2011 Genesis Community Service Award. The award annually recognizes an outstanding person in
our area who has significantly contributed to the community and exemplified the Genesis values of compassion, trust, innovation and excellence.
Benson grew up in Pennsylvania where his dad was a coal miner. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1951 and became an engineer at the RCA Corporation in Lancaster, Pa., developing the production of color TV picture tubes. He joined Brockway Glass and became manager of the Zanesville plant in 1974. The Brockway leaders encouraged their managers to become active in the community and Benson did just that. One of his first projects was becoming a charter member of the Good Samaritan Medical Center Foundation Board, where he was instrumental in designing fundraising campaigns such as the Bob and Dolores Hope Awards and the $100 Club.
He has been actively involved in hospital projects for more than 30 years including the:
• Genesis HealthCare Foundation Board of Directors
• Genesis-Good Samaritan Foundation Board of Directors
• Genesis Advisory Council
He has also been a leader in the community through:
• Kiwanis International
• Muskingum Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America
• Muskingum County Gideon Camp
• Zanesville Christian and Missionary Alliance Church
• Muskingum County Senior Center
• United Way
• Muskingum Chamber of Commerce
Benson lives on a small farm near Zanesville with his wife Beverly. The couple has been married for 63 years. Their children include son Jay and his wife Shellie; daughter Christine Benson Tice and her husband John; son Jeffery and his wife Debbie; and son John and his wife Carma. The Bensons have 15 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Benson will be honored at the Genesis HealthCare Foundation Donor Appreciation and Community Service Award Dinner on Oct. 6 at the Genesis HealthPlex. For more information, call the Genesis HealthCare Foundation at (740) 454-5052.
