Obituary of Benjamin Franklin Pearce III

Benjamin Franklin Pearce the 3rd 79, Hot Dog Benny Ben Pearce beloved husband of Betty Miners Pearce and devoted father of Dawn Pearce Davis passed away on Thursday Sept. 11, after a brief but valiant struggle with cancer, at home surrounded by his loving family. Born in Irvington on July 6, 1924, he was the oldest of six children born in the to the late Benjamin Franklin Pearce the 2nd and the late Elsie Marzloff Pearce. He was raised in Marcella and Wharton, the latter where he attended primary and high school. He has lived in the Hibernia Flats section of Rockaway Township since 1948. Ben served in the US Navy from 1942 to 1946. He served aboard the U.S.S. Denebola, off the coast of Maine, for a short period early in his enlistment. He also served aboard the U.S.S. Nields (DD616) in the North Atlantic. The duration of his time in the service was spent aboard the U.S.S. Wadsworth (DD516), on which he served from time the ship was commissioned in on March the 16th, 1943 until the time of her decommission on April the 18th, 1946, During this period of time he attained the rank of Seaman 1st Class, his battle station was gunner on a 40 millimeter gun. He served a very short 2nd enlistment for the express purpose of bringing the U.S.S. Wadsworth from San Diego through the Panama Canal to Charleston, SC, where she was decommissioned and he was discharged from active duty. He was a plank owner of the Wadsworth and became a shellback while serving aboard her. While serving aboard the Wadsworth he saw action in many major invasions and bombardments in the Pacific Theatre of operations, including the following campaigns: Bougainville, Green Islands, Emirau Island, Battle of the Philippines Sea, Saipan, Guam Island, Peleliu Island, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Cape Torokina Beaches, Buka and Choiseul Islands, Rabaul Island, New Britain Island, and Tinian Island. He was one of the first people to enter Nagasaki, Japan after the Atomic bomb was dropped there as a prelude to the end of World War II. Ben worked for others during a short period of his life while being a business owner himself. Realizing that he would never be happy in the employ of others he decided with the blessing and support of his wife, to strike outout on his own for good in 1963. Businesses that ho owned and operated over the years include B.F. Pearce and Son Cinder Block Co., from 1947 to 1962, owned jointly with his father until his fathers untimely death in 1953. He owned an independent trucking company from 1946 until 1964. He ownedand operated Blue Star GasService, a propane delivery and service company from 1952 until 1972. He was "Frenchy" the french fry man at the Pine Brook Auction from 1952 until 1955. Most recently he owned operated the "benny's Umbrella Room", a hot dog wagon, on Rt 10 West Denville, from 1963-1983, then from 1983 until the close of the season late 2002 in front of his home on Green Pond Rd. in Rockaway Township. This season would have marked his 40th year in business. Ben along with his wife Betty and daughter Dawn, while still at home, traveld extensively, mainly between New Jersey and Florida, stopping to visit friends and family along the way. Ben and Betty have wintered in Florida every year since 1973 in a variety of motor home they have owned. They have attened reunions with Ben's shipmates from the Wadsworth every year since 1962. This year's reunionis to be held in Bath, Maine where the Wadswoorth was built. Dawn attended many of these reunions with Ben and Betty, as did her husband Keith since the early 1990's. This year will markthe first time Ben and Betty have missed a Wadsworth reunion, the first time in 40 years that he has not opened his hot dog stand and the first time in many years that they will not be wintering in Florida. Ben was an amatuer historian who loved to entertain friends and family be relating storie sof life experiences. He was an amatuer inventor and tinker, an entreprenuer and an accomplished amatuer pugilist being trained in his early years bu Johnny Goldsworthy, and competing in local events, both sanctioned and non-sanctioned.Boxing was an art that served him well troughout his lifetime. Ben was predeceased by his brother "Billy" Pearce and his sister "Sis" Fucito. He is survived by his wife of 48 years Betty Miners Pearce of Rockaway Township, his daughter Dawn Pearce Davis and her husband Keith of Budd Lake,his sister Jean Ziccarello and her husband Jess of Whippany, his sister Catherine Beech and her husband Harry of St Louis, MO, His brother "Dickis" Pearce and his wife Emma of Wharton, his sister in law Barbara Pearce of Milford, DE and his brother in law Frank Fucito of Lehighton, PA. "Uncle Sonny will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by manyloving nieces and nephews as well as score of good friends. In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to Compassionate Care Hospice, 66 Mt. Pleasant Ave. Bldg C, Clifton, NJ 07103, to whom the family is greatly apprecaitive, for the compassion they demonstrated and the dignity with which Benjamin was allowed to live his final days. Relatives and friend are invited to attend the funeral services on Monday Sept.15th at 11:00AM at Norman Dean Home for Services 16 Righter Ave., Denville, NJVisistation Sunday Sept. 14th from 2-4 and 7-9PM.