Benjamin Arthur Dehn

Benjamin Arthur Dehn, age 76, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Saturday, December 10, 2022, after a nearly 10-month long, valiant battle with cancer. Benjamin was a loyal, kind man with a gentle spirit and an open heart. He was also selfless, generous, and a devoted father and husband. His skill at making cannoli was well known throughout Albuquerque, as he shared them with friends, family, neighbors, and the occasional cashier at Smith's.

Benjamin was born in Brooklyn, NY to Irving and Helen (née Sikorowicz) Dehn on March 25, 1946. He was raised in Brooklyn, NY, graduating from John Jay High School in 1963. He met his wife, Josephine (née Farris) in 1969 and they were married at St. Michael's Church in Brooklyn on March 21, 1970. They moved from Brooklyn to East Brunswick, NJ in 1978, with son Daniel in tow.

He worked for over thirty years at Goody Hair Products in Kearny, NJ, where he started fresh out of high school as a mailroom clerk and worked his way up to Information Technology Manager (back in the era of punch cards and magnetic tape). After Goody was acquired by another company in 1995, he worked as IT Director for National Marketing Services in Edison, NJ until his retirement in 2009.

He was a basketball coach and referee for fifth and sixth graders for more than 15 years at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Old Bridge, NJ. He was also a member of several recreational league softball teams, playing alongside his son for many seasons: The Mighty Flying Wombats in East Brunswick, NJ, and the first softball team to represent St. Jude Thaddeus, Redemption, in Albuquerque. He played softball well into his late sixties. An excellent pool player in his youth, he played in a pool league for several years and was noted not only for his abilities, but also for his keen ability to disarm opponents with his friendliness and "table talk".

He loved the inherent beauty of the Land of Enchantment and enjoyed photographing everything that caught his eye, leaving behind many digital albums of majestic landscapes and scenes of life in New Mexico for his family and friends to enjoy and remember him by for years to come.

Benjamin was predeceased by his brother, Daniel, mother Helen and father, Irving. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Josephine, son, Daniel, and cat, Chloe. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family.

A Rosary will be recited for Benjamin on Monday, December 19, 2022, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:15 a.m., at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 5712 Paradise Blvd NW in Albuquerque.
For those unable to attend in person, the services will be livestreamed on the following website: http://www.stjudenm.org/
Burial will follow at noon at Mount Calvary Cemetery, 1900 Edith Blvd NE.

If you would like to honor his memory, please feel free to strike up a conversation with a random shopper in a supermarket, sing opera in a public place, bring a delicious cannoli or other pastry to a friend or a stranger, or in lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to the American Cancer Society, online at www.cancer.org, or by phoning 800-227-2345.