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Benjamin V. Groninger

Benjamin “Benny” Van Ormer Groninger, passed away peacefully on Jan. 19, 2018, with his family by his side. Ben was born in Port Royal, on Nov. 11, 1930, and graduated a year early from Tuscarora Valley High School in 1947. Ben studied engineering at Penn State. During that time, he met the love of his life, Shirley Lequea, from Lewistown. Ben ate well in State College (since Shirley waitressed at the Corner Room!), and graduated as a civil engineer from Penn State in 1951. Ben and Shirley were married June 7, 1952, and celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary together in 2017! Ben and Shirley had three children, Patti, Randy and Lisa.

Ben’s aerospace engineering career began in 1951 with the Glenn L. Martin Company (which later became Martin Marietta and then Lockheed Martin) in Baltimore, Md., working on projects such as the P5M and P6M Submarine Hunter Airplanes. In 1970, Ben, with the family in tow, moved to Littleton, Colo. to help prepare Martin Marietta’s proposal for the external fuel tank for the NASA Space Shuttle program. After the award of the external fuel tank contract to Martin Marietta in 1973, the family moved to Slidell, La., where Ben worked on the design, development and production of the external tank until his retirement in 1990.

During his retirement years, Ben and Shirley continued to live in Slidell, but spent much time at their second home in Old Port, traveling and greatly enjoying family, friends and life on the side porch.

Ben was the oldest son of Benjamin Edward and Marian Van Ormer Groninger, from Old Port. He is survived by: his wife Shirley; son Randy (wife Jude), of Bagdad, Fla.; and daughter Lisa (husband Rick), of New Orleans, La.

We gratefully thank the many special people that have come into our lives and helped us through the last few years, including nurses Rachel, Kim, Olivia, Katrina, Colleen and Sheila, and everyone at Passages Hospice. All have been truly wonderful and all have become a special part of the family.

Future arrangements in Port Royal through the Rex Funeral Home will be announced.