Thursday, December 27, 2007
George C. BensonArmy Colonel, Oil Official
George Charles Benson, 84, a highly decorated Army colonel and military attache in Indonesia who spent 19 years as Washington representative for Pertamina, Indonesia's state oil company, died Dec. 16 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. He had sepsis.
After leaving Pertamina in 1992, Col. Benson spent a decade as an independent oil and gas consultant. He maintained close ties to the military government in Jakarta through business and cultural organizations.
He was a founding board member and trustee emeritus of the United States-Indonesia Society. He served on the board of the American-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and helped start the American Indonesian Cultural and Education Foundation, serving as chairman.
He was a Philadelphia native and a 1945 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
During his military career, Col. Benson fought in Korea as a battalion commander and in Vietnam as a brigade commander. His final active-duty assignment, in 1973, was at the Pentagon as the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel.
His decorations included the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star (for combat in Vietnam), two awards of the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, 11 awards of the Air Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
In 1990, he was inducted into the Defense Intelligence Agency's hall of fame for defense attaches for his work in Indonesia.
A son, William J. "Duke" Benson, died in 2001.
Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Barbara Hester Benson of Bethesda; three children, Richard L. Benson of Las Vegas and Bonnie M. Benson and Monica M. Huminski, both of Bethesda; a brother; a sister; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
-- Adam Bernstein
Irvin HurwitzFCC Employee
Irvin Hurwitz, 92, an employee at the Federal Communications Commission for more than 40 years, died of congestive heart failure Dec. 21 at Powhatan Nursing Home in Falls Church.
Mr. Hurwitz worked in the aviation and marine division of the FCC, specializing in collision avoidance techniques. He retired in 1982.
Born in New York City, he graduated at 19 from City College of New York in musical composition, literature and mathematics.
He then received a second bachelor's degree there in electrical engineering. During World War II, he served in the Navy in the United States.
After the war, he joined the FCC and settled in the Washington area in the 1960s.
He did post-graduate work in mathematics at L'Institut Henri Poincar¿ in Paris.
He enjoyed jazz and classical music, art, literature, mathematics, science and languages. He also enjoyed attending churches and visiting museums in Europe.
His marriage to Nancy Winters ended in divorce.
Survivors include his companion of 40 years, Carol Bitner of Falls Church.
-- Patricia Sullivan