By Patricia Hudson
Margret Mundo admires her neighbor, Louis Benjamin, whom she calls “an exceptional man, husband, and father.” When she discovered that he would turn 92 years old on Memorial Day, Margret rallied the Cypress Creek Lakes community and staged a surprise drive-by celebration, a parade in his honor. More than 30 vehicles, including police cars and motorcycles, passed by the delighted nonagenarian’s home, honking horns, waving signs, and calling out birthday greetings as he sat in his driveway, waving back. Cars continued to pass by for nearly an hour after the parade had ended. “Louis served and fought selflessly. I am happy to honor one of our own, our local hero. While his health has waned, Louis is a fighter, but with a gentle, humble soul,” emphasizes Margret.
Louis was born on May 25, 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana. “I was the third of seven children; I always had someone to play with after school. My older sister died at 28, and my older brother, Robert, joined the Navy in 1943.” Louis graduated from high school at age 15. “My father always preached the importance of getting an education, but only my sister Jeanette and I finished high school.”
There were many memories of growing up in New Orleans. Louis recalls living in a house that was built by his father. Unfortunately, that home was built on someone else’s land. “The real landowner came and evicted us. Food was easy to come by because we could grow food on any vacant lot. Our neighbor made cast nets. I would swim in Lake Pontchartrain, while my neighbor caught fish.”
Louis graduated high school at the age of 15, and left for the University of California Berkley on D-Day, December 12, 1944. “I needed money to continue school. UC Berkley was $27.50. but it cost another $150.00, being out of state. Working after school didn’t pay enough.” With little money for college tuition, and at the age of 16, Benjamin joined the Merchant Marines, in 1945. “My most memorable experiences with the Merchant Marines? Going through the Panama and Suez Canals. Traveling around the world to Singapore, Africa, Europe, Egypt, Japan, Philippines and the South Pacific Islands, and taking supplies to Nagasaki, where it was too ‘hot’ to go ashore.” Benjamin retired from the Merchant Marines in 1950.
“I was drafted into the Army Infantry, and served in the 24th regiment, which was the last all black regiment to be disbanded.” Louis served 11 months in the Korean War, where he remembers “climbing all those hills. Wearing the big parka jackets in the winters of ’51 and ’52. The last six weeks, I guarded prisoners. Left Korea in February of ’52.” In 1953, the infantryman received an honorable discharge.
Military service behind him, Louis was finally able to realize his dream to go to college. He attended Dillard College and graduated in three years. It was there that he met the love of his life, Juanita. “I always talked about Mr. Benjamin as being the one who answered all the questions in the front of the biology classroom. The Professor, Dr Charlie Bugs, always had Lou verify all the answers in Biology. I came up to the front to introduce myself. I was his sister Louella’s best friend. He was eight years older, and had already been around the world, so we’d never met before Dillard. We only lived a block away, so we rode the bus to school together after that,” recalls Juanita.
In 1958, Benjamin was awarded a Master’s Degree in Chemistry from St. Louis University. He began work on his doctorate at Saint Louis University, where he presented his research to the American Chemical Society. As a black man, he was unable to get a job in his field in The South, despite the acclaim he had received from his research presentation. Louis moved his family to upstate New York.
“The only real prejudice we encountered was when we first moved to New Jersey, where we did encounter some ‘red lining.’ We were one of the first five black families to buy a home in Livingston, New Jersey. After moving in, the families on both sides of us tried to sell their homes. One neighbor became our friends. The other neighbor never allowed his son to play with us even though ours was in the same grade,” recounts Louis.
Working as a research chemist from 1967-1991 for Norwich Pharmaceuticals and Hoffman La Roche, in New Jersey, Benjamin retired at age 63. Meanwhile, Juanita taught kindergarten through eighth grade. She retired in 2008 from the New Jersey Livingston School System, after teaching a total of 48 years. The couple moved to Cypress, Texas in 2012.
His friendship with the famous pianist, singer, song writer Antoine “Fats” Domino, evokes fond memories for Benjamin. “I was trying to teach him how to play the piano. Obviously, Fats didn’t need my help,” he quips. Louis and Fats remained friends until Fats’ death in 2017. He was 89 years old.
Louis and Juanita have maintained a loving relationship for 62 years. “We found very early in our marriage that Louis will never answer in with an angry voice. Thus, he waited until the angry one could discuss the pros and cons of the item. We never got angry at the same time, so we never argued. Our relationship has always been positive. We were always looking forward to a better life. We support the feelings of each other,” explains Juanita, who turns 84 in August.
Benjamin attributes his personal longevity to “Retiring at age 59, and good genes. Basically, a stress-free life. I loved my work as a chemist.” For one that has lived such a long and colorful life, what advice Louis would give to today’s youth? His response confirmed his mental acuity. “Find positive role models and mentors that can influence your career. See the world at a young age so that you understand and appreciate what America has to offer. Make sure you strive to maintain positive relationships in all aspects of your life. Too many people spend too much time on negative things that really don’t directly impact their lives. Last, find your passion and do what you love.”
The Benjamins have three children: Louis Jr., Kevin, and Lyle. Louis Jr. received his Bachelor’s degree from Harvard and lives in Houston. Kevin earned a Bachelor’s from UConn, and a master’s from IU. He teaches Geometry at Jersey Village High School. Lyle lives in Cincinnati and received his Bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickenson University. The couple has five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
