Our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother Joan M. Bensen, 82, of Port Orange, FL, passed away on May 30, 2016. Born at home in West Paterson, NJ, daughter of Jonah Walker and Violet Mathias, Joan, a self-described tomboy with a keen sense of adventure, always had a voracious desire to learn.

Graduating high school at 16, she attended Upsala College in East Orange, NJ on scholarship for a year before returning to work full time, meeting her husband, Al, of 62 years, and raising their four children amid two cross country moves. Always tenacious, Joan continued to attend college as time permitted, qualifying/becoming a member of Mensa International, and then earning her BS Degree in Mathematics at age 56. A whiz at numbers, she found great satisfaction in then serving the public as an IRS VITA Tax Assistance volunteer for 10 years, making many great friends both with those she served and worked alongside. She was the epitome of a beautiful mind, tirelessly encouraging her children and grandchildren to learn, and, in her spare time, she loved walking on the beach, writing stories and poetry, knitting, sewing and crocheting and her animals, especially her dogs.

Survivors include her four children and spouses: Mark and Beverly Bensen, Joy and Dale Campbell, Kurt Bensen, and Jill and Ross Winchel; eight grandchildren: Jessica B. Leak (Johnny), Lauren C. Blickley (Kyle), Trek Campbell, Natasha Bensen, and Robert Ross, Alex, Brett and Danielle Winchel. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Albert W. Bensen, and her dear sister, Doris Gregory, both in 2015.

Visitation will be from 12:00 to 1:00 PM on Saturday, June 4, 2016 at the Forest Hills Funeral Home, Palm City, FL with a service at 1:00 PM in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow in Forest Hills Memorial Park, Palm City.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Joan's memory to Halifax Humane Society of Daytona Beach, FL. www.halifaxhumanesociety.org