On October 12, residents in the Village of Montgomery held heavy hearts following the passing of Edwin Peter Benson Sr., a local legend who touched many lives through his deli on Clinton Street, his community outreach, and his artwork. The Benson and Phillips Family held services at his house the following Saturday, during which attendees sipped drinks and recounted their experiences with Benson.

Benson was born on November 20, 1947 in Brooklyn to his late parents Edwin and Gladys. He lived in the borough during his early life and graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in 1965. Following high school, Benson joined the U.S. Navy and served in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1968. After returning home from his service, he wanted to join the New York City Police Department, but pivoted to the food business due to a hiring freeze. Benson simultaneously owned and operated two delis during the early 1970s, including one in Brooklyn and another in New Jersey. Around this time, he expanded his family with the births of his son Edwin Jr. in 1969, son Michael in 1972, daughter Jai in 1977, son Brian in 1980, and son Barry in 1982.

Benson and his family moved to the Village of Montgomery in 1979; he found the village to be the ideal place to raise his children. That same year, he opened Eddie’s Deli on Clinton Street and operated the business for 35 years. His deli was a staple of the Montgomery area, providing countless residents with delicious coffee and egg sandwiches. Benson also handed out treats to children throughout the year and transformed the deli into a haunted house during Halloween.

“My dad used to dress up in a Slush Puppy costume, take all the kids down to the deli, and give them free Slush Puppies. He’d also give out treats during Halloween and bigger holidays,” Jai said on October 18. “For years, dad hosted a huge haunted house right out of the deli, and everyone would come in and get treats. The best part was he would have my older brothers and their friends from school come and dress as ghouls, ghosts, and werewolves. They would be all around the deli, across the street, and by the old post office where the gazebo now stands. So the haunted house wasn’t just contained inside the deli, and as the kids came in and out, my brothers and their friends would give them a joyful scare. There was a friendly fright and excitement to it all.”

Outside of his deli, Benson was an outgoing resident who supported his community in many ways. He frequently donated food and-or money to first responder agencies, the Montgomery Little League, municipal departments, and Valley Central’s sport programs. He also expressed his appreciation through art, painting pictures and assembling dioramas of village buildings. His first and biggest project was a diorama of the entire village, which took him about eight months to complete. He also made replicas of the mastodon habitat, the Montgomery Grange, the Montgomery Village Museum, the Orange County Fire Museum, the village hall, and the Walden Savings Bank.

“My dad’s artwork was magical, and it felt like his talent came out of nowhere. He started building dioramas long before he was sick, with the first one being the Village of Mongomery itself,” Jai said on October 18. “It was a side of dad that I never knew about. He was very business-oriented and task-focused, so to see a more intricate and whimsical side of him was fascinating to me.”

Above all, Benson cared deeply about his family and provided many adventures for his five children and 14 grandchildren. He and his daughter Jai, for instance, inspected sweets at candy expos and sang their favorite songs at the Monticello Raceway.

“In years past, all the candy distributors would have a huge candy expo where you could see the newest and greatest candy products coming out. When me and my dad went to these expos, he would always say ‘Alright, we’re gonna dress up fancy,’” Jai said on October 18. “Well, dad would always be in his shorts and white t-shirt. But he would tell me ‘You’re gonna be my business agent.’ I got to put on a business blazer and slacks, and dad would give me a little clipboard.”

“He told me ‘Alright, I want you to write down the candies you like and the number of the tent you found them at.’ Every time we went to a different tent, they would start talking to dad because he was the adult. But he would say ‘Excuse me, you have to talk to my business agent,’ and refer to me,” she continued. “So the candy reps would address me and say ‘This is our product that we have,’ and dad would ask if I liked it. I always said yes so I would get more candy.”

On October 17, the services at Benson’s house, included military honors and a celebration of life. As attendees approached the front porch, they remembered seeing Benson chat with passerby, laugh with friends, and work on his next art piece. In the backyard, they enjoyed food and drinks while sharing their favorite memories of Benson. The family and attendees also visited the Montgomery Village Museum to see all of his dioramas.

The Benson and Phillips Family thanked everyone who shared kind words, both in-person and in-writing, and donated to Benson’s charities.