Persons, Benjamin
PERSONS, Benjamin Stephen "Ben"
Ben Persons of Atlanta passed at home early on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at age 99. He is survived by daughter, Donna (husband Harry); and sons, Steve (wife Madeleine) and Robbie (wife Michelle); grandchildren, Ben (wife Amanda), Will, Django, Jo (husband Peter) and Jacob; great-grandchildren, Alafair, James, Oliver, Kori, Bradley and Cora.
Born on March 3, 1923 in Butler, GA, Ben entered a magical world of southern tradition and rustic hobbies. His father and grandfather soon passing away, "Bennie" was richly educated by his grandmother, mother and aunts – regaling him with tales of flying machines, pirate ships, Arabian Nights and the family ancestor William Wallace. He attended the GA Military Academy high school for much-needed male influence and reform for mischief such as skinny dipping in the town water tank. His most cherished male influence was Charlie Rushin, who was born a slave and died a free man. He taught Ben a range of life lessons from catamount hunting and catching a raccoon to how to be a gentleman.
At age 19, Ben entered WWII serving in France, Germany and Austria with the 42nd Infantry Rainbow Division as anti-tank platoon leader. He was awarded the Silver Star for taking an excursion 30 miles into enemy territory to discover the only intact bridge over the Saarbach River, checking for explosives and surviving gunfire, mortar attack and pursuit. For the information he reported back, the award citation reads "his courageous action contributed greatly to the breaching of the Siegfried Line." He was also a member of the forces that liberated the Dachau Concentration Camp on April 29, 1945.
Also awarded Bronze Star and inducted into French Legion of Honor for meritous service in France and Germany during World War II.
In 1946, he married Frances Neisler from the neighboring town of Reynolds. She gave him three children and accompanied him on many round-the-world professional trips, helping to build his life and career. She was every bit his equal and they would spend 75 years together before her passing in 2022 at age 100.
After graduating from GA Tech in civil engineering Ben joined Dames & Moore, for whom he would create and grow their Southeast engineering practice to become the company's most profitable region. He was later assigned management of the Pacific Region, obtaining similar results. His most prized accomplishments were designing and engineering the Kumba-Mamfe Road in Cameroon and the Lake Tobesofkee Dam in GA. He rose to O-6 in the Public Health Service, receiving Commendation Medals for his work implementing water systems and geotechnical solutions on the Navajo, Hopi, Sioux, Cheyenne, Blackfoot and Crow Reservations.
Ben authored nine books, including the 1970 definitive work - "Laterite; Genesis, Location, Use," which remains the go-to book on Laterite. His book "Sandspurs" recounts stories from his boyhood, providing insight into what shaped him. Other books – "Relieved of Command" and "Court of Inquiry" – are more arduous, owing perhaps to his varied military experiences.
A ruling elder for over half a century, Ben was a staunch Presbyterian and liberal, believing that worldview and Christian values go hand in hand. He taught Sunday school, often leaving his class scratching their heads with ideas such as "truth is what you believe." His ardent desire was to bring potable water to all who didn't have it, which he practiced by installing wells on mission trips to the Yucatan and Indian reservations. He played the coronet, painted and performed mathematical proofs for his own enjoyment. He chaired the GA Board of Geology. He hunted, collected and cataloged civil war artifacts, Indian arrowheads, minerals and meteorites. He owned and rode horses, designed and piloted ocean-going vessels, and provided expert witness testimony in US and state courts on engineering matters. He restored and operated antique cannons; hunted dove, duck and geese and taught others the sport; and he was an expert marksman with numerous small arms. He was a registered professional engineer in 11 states and five countries. An avid reader, his favorites were Alfred Tennyson, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Stephen Vincent Benet, T.S. Eliot and Robert Louis Stephenson. Retaining a keen wit and fierce intelligence to the end, he kept all around him on their toes. Surely a man for all seasons.
A joint memorial service will be held for Ben and Frances on March 10, 2023 at 11 AM at the Roswell Presbyterian Church. A graveside service with military honors will be held for Ben at 3 PM on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, GA, where he will be laid to rest beside his wife, parents and older sister.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Roswell Presbyterian Church.
