Obituary of Ernest V. Bencivenga

Ernest Bencivenga of Manchester died January 24 at Community Medical Center, surrounded by family. Considered a "Renaissance Man" among his friends, family, and peers, he embraced music, mathematics, flying, and sailing with equal passion and enjoyed a long and successful career in finance and commercial real estate. Born in New York City on April 20, 1918, Mr. Bencivenga grew up in Mineola, Long Island and joined the United States Navy during World War II. He launched his banking career in 1936 at the Bank of New Hyde Park, N.Y. and later moved to Freehold, and eventually Toms River, N.J., where he and his wife, Jean, raised their six children. Executive vice president of the First National Bank of Freehold from 1956 to 1966, he went on to become president of the First State Bank of Ocean County from 1967 to 1977. He was a cofounder of the Monmouth Capital Corporation, the Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp., and UMH Properties, Inc., where he spent more than two decades, serving as director, secretary, and treasurer of each. After retiring in 1987, he remained as director emeritus. Mr. Bencivenga loved the water and enjoyed many years on the family sailboats, which bore the name of his life's motto: Carpe Diem, or "seize the day." Whether racing in local waters or cruising up and down the eastern seaboard, he passed his sailing enthusiasm on to many who looked up to him as teacher and mentor. He was a past commodore of the Island Heights Yacht club and longstanding member of the Toms River Yacht Club. A classical-music buff and self-taught musician, Mr. Bencivenga was practically his own orchestra, playing a diverse range of instruments, including saxophone, clarinet, organ, and piano. He was also a voracious student of theoretical mathematics and appreciated the interconnectedness between math and music, viewing them both as creative, beautiful, and essential to life. When not on land or water, Mr. Bencivenga could be found in the sky. A licensed pilot, he readily took to flying and savored his airtime. He and Jean moved to Manchester, N.J. in 2003. Mr. Bencivenga was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Bertha Bencivenga; his son, Robert Bencivenga; his brother, Arthur Bencivenga; and his sister, Mildred Birmingham. He is survived by: his wife, Jean Reuter Bencivenga; his children, David Bencivenga of Kissimmee, Fla.; Valerie Roberta Bencivenga and her husband, Mark Feldman, of Austin, Texas; Kristin Vida Bencivenga of Aston, Pa.; Brandon Bencivenga and his wife, Mary, of Toms River, N.J.; and Barrett David Bencivenga and his wife, Laura, of Short Hills, N.J.; his grandchildren, Caroline and Rachel Bencivenga; Paul and Sarah Bencivenga; Mikaela Bencivenga; Shaina Bencivenga; Gregory, Douglas, and Glenn Krupiak; and Audrey Brehm and her husband, Fred; a niece and nephew, Kenneth and Kathy Birmingham; and two great grandchildren. There will be a viewing on Friday, January 27 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Kedz Funeral Home, 1123 Hooper Avenue, Toms River. A memorial service celebrating Mr. Bencivenga's life will be held Saturday, January 28 at 12:00 noon at the Church of Grace and Peace, 1563 Old Freehold Road, Toms River.