Who was Tom Benson?His wife, daughter, family, biography, death

Tom Benson was a highly successful multi-billion dollar mogul and philanthropist. He was best known for his ownership of 2 professional sports franchises, the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelican. As the franchise’s principal owner, Benson was involved in the New Orleans Saints’ historic victory in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.

Bio – Who was Tom Benson?

Thomas Milton Benson was born on July 12, 1927, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Thomas Benson Sr. and Carmen Benson. As a young adult, he served in the United States Army, after which he earned a degree in accounting from Loyola University in New Orleans.

After graduating in 1948, Benson got a job as a salesman at Cathey Chevrolet, a car dealership in New Orleans. In 1956, he transferred to the Chevrolet dealership in San Antonio, where he was able to breathe new life into the company’s lackluster performance. His hard work earned him huge bonuses over the years, and in 1962 he was able to become the full owner of the company, which would later become the Tom Benson Chevrolet. He also owned several other car dealership companies in San Antonio and the New Orleans metro area. With the proceeds from his thriving automobile business, Benson invested in several smaller banks in the area, many of which ended up buying and became known as Benson Financial.

On May 31, 1985, business magnate Tom Benson purchased the New Orleans Saints professional football team, which became one of the most notable investments of his career. He soon enlisted the services of general manager Jim Finks and head coach Jim Mora, both of whom steered the once-losing franchise into winning ways. Over the years, his popularity as a team owner in the league has risen sharply. The culmination of Benson’s more than three-decade tenure as owner of the New Orleans Saints came in 2010 when the team won its first Super Bowl title, Super Bowl XLIV.

In 1992, Tom Benson unsuccessfully tried to buy the minor league baseball team, the Charlotte Knights. He also introduced a team to the Arena Football League in 2004, the New Orleans VooDoo. However, he relinquished ownership of the company in 2008. Benson purchased an NBA franchise the New Orleans Hornets (now the New Orleans Pelicans) on April 13, 2012. He also made another addition to his fortune of several billion in July 2017, when it acquired a majority stake in Dixie Brewing Co. LLC.

Family life; woman and girl

Until his death, Tom Benson had been married for several years to Gayle Benson (née LaJaunie). The couple tied the knot on October 29, 2004 at St. Louis Cathedral, followed by a reception at the Museum of Art in New Orleans. After 10 years of marital bliss, they renewed their vows on October 22, 2014 at the same location.

Tom Benson had been married twice before his union with Gayle Benson. His first wife, Shirley Landry, died in 1980 after 26 years of marriage. His marriage to his second wife, Grace Marie Trudeau Benson, ended in 2003, when the latter died.

He had 3 children Robert Carter Benson, Renee Benson and Jeanne Marie “Tootsie” Benson all of whom he adopted with his first wife Shirley Landry. However, Robert died aged 37 in January 1986. Sadly, Benson’s daughter Jeanne Marie committed suicide in April 1991, aged 31.

At the time of his death, Tom Benson had just one surviving child, daughter Renee, who has 2 children, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc. Unfortunately, relations between the father-daughter duo went sour a few years before his death. The culmination of their fractured relationship came in January 2015 when Benson removed Renee’s name and those of her 2 children from her will. He also supplanted his granddaughter, Rita LeBlanc, his successor, and ultimately transferred control of his estate to his wife Gayle.

His death

On February 16, 2018, 90-year-old Tom Benson, who had contracted the flu, was admitted to Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, Louisiana. He died nearly a month later at the same facility.

Following his death, his widow Gayle Bensona assumed ownership of his estate. By inheriting 2 professional sports franchises; The New Orleans Saints of the NFL and the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA, Ms. Benson became the first woman to simultaneously hold primary ownership of an NFL and NBA franchise.

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