Obituary of Benjamin De Leon

Dr. Benjamin Gomez de Leon, Sr. passed away peacefully on November 14, 2010 at his residence in Watchung, New Jersey. He battled cancer with grace and dignity and at the time of his passing, he was surrounded by his devoted wife, Concepcion (Chit) and his beloved family. Benjamin was loved by his family and many friends for his quiet caring demeanor, his sense of humor, and his boundless generosity. He was an unselfish man who put everyone, especially his family and friends, ahead of himself; he genuinely cared for his fellow human beings. Whenever someone was in need, Ben was always the first one to offer his assistance. Born in the Philippines on February 21, 1928 to Mayor Eleuterio and Rosario de Leon, he earned his degree in Dentistry from the National University of the Philippines. He worked many productive years as a medical representative for United Drugs while raising his seven children. He migrated to the United States with his family in 1974 and worked for the United Nations. His 7 children became successful in their endeavors due to Ben & Chit's guidance, hard work, perseverance and sacrifices. Ben's playground in his retired years were Atlantic City, Vegas, Foxwoods and Empire City to name a few. Playing mahjong, especially with his siblings, was fun for him and he was rarely seen without a crossword puzzle in his hands. He loved sports of which his favorite was boxing. Ben was also well known for his dancing skills, which earned him the nickname "Fred Astaire" from his siblings . His favorite pastime however was playing with and teasing his 15 grandchildren. He was the best Lolo to his apos. Ben was survived by his devoted and dedicated wife of 50 years, Mee -short for Mommy, as he tenderly called her. They had 4 daughters, 3 sons, and their spouses Marion and Ray , Marilou and Bruno, Benjie Jr. and Lynn, Victor and Jake, Marivic and Jimmy, Marissa and Michael and Joey and Joanne. Ben was also 'Lolo' - grandfather to 15 grandchildren, Christopher, Sean, Brandon, Benjamin III, Jacque, Jaq, Danny, Kevin, Jaime, Jator, Jacob, Anthony, Ryan, Olivia and Jesse. Ben was also survived by his siblings and their spouses Cesar and Rosalina, Erlinda, Fe, Teresita and Anastacio, Albina, Mary and Andy, Eduardo and Tess, Edgardo and Grace, Elisa, Ernesto and Tess, Evangeline and Steve, Cecile and predeceased by his brother Emmanuel. Special thanks to our extended families, especially the Ablan family who has continually given Ben & Chit all the love, care and support. Ben will also be forever missed by his relatives in the Philippines and other parts of the world as well as his many friends. The visitations will be held at Higgins Funeral Home at 752 Mountain Blvd, Watchung, NJ on Wednesday and Thursday, November 17 and 18th at 2:00-4:00 PM and at 7:00-9:00 PM. There will be a mass at St. Mary's Stony Hill Church at 225 Mountain Road, Watchung, NJ on Friday , November 19th at 10:00 AM followed by the interment at St. Mary's Cemetery on Plainfield Avenue in Watchung, NJ. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the American Cancer Society will be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made thru their website Cancer.org <http://cancer.org/> or at 1-800-227-2345. Kindly have the memorial card sent to the family's residence.