David P. Benton

Champaign- David P. "Dave" Benton 52, of Champaign, left this life at 11:22 a.m. Tuesday May 26, 2015 at his home with his loving family by his side. Dave was born on Sept. 19, 1962 in Buffalo, NY. He was the son of Donald and Anna Ricci Benton. Dave married Teresa "Terri" Ware on April 26, 1986 in DeKalb, IL. She survives. Also surviving is a daughter Lauren (Denise Macaluso) Benton of Schaumburg, IL., and a son Matthew Benton of San Angelo, TX. Other survivors include 3 brothers, Mark (Bobbi) Benton of Itasca, IL., Brian (Karen) Benton of Pittsburgh, PA., and Drew (Karen) Benton of Phoenix, AZ., A sister Elizabeth (the late Gerald) Arizpe of Valparaiso, IN. Dave had a very close and special relationship with his niece Meagen Arizpe of Dallas, TX., and his nephew Vincent Arizpe of Valparaiso, IN. He was preceded in death by his father and his paternal and maternal grandparents. It was at an early age that Dave Benton knew he would be a news anchor. A native of the Chicagoland area, Benton grew up watching some of the biggest names in Chicago news. "I wondered what it would be like to uncover stories about the neighborhoods where we lived and share them, so I decided to become a reporter. I got a rush of excitement when my first story aired and I thought this is what it must be like." Dave moved to the Chicago suburbs at the age of five, where he lived in Addison, Illinois. He then went onto Northern Illinois University where he received his bachelor's degree in Broadcast News and a minor in Political Science. Dave always said the thing that he enjoyed most about his career is that he got a front row seat to events that shape lives, and he was able to meet fascinating people every day. In regards to Dave's career, his message was very simple. He was quoted as saying, "My goal as an anchor is to give our viewers a clear and concise, fair and accurate look at our community. I hope to offer them information they can use every day. I want viewers to get an accurate look at the day's events and understand what they mean to them. I don't want them to watch a newscast and feel like they missed something." That is exactly what Dave had been doing at WCIA3 for several years, as he came to the station in 2005. He always said the station's heritage was hard to ignore. Dave continued the long tradition WCIA3 had for covering the news, and he became such a vital part of the community. Dave's experience included anchoring evening newscasts in Cedar Rapids, IA and Wausau, WI. He was also a News Director and Anchor at KMOT in Minot, ND. Benton has won a number of awards that include being voted "Most Beloved TV Personality" in 1999, a NBNA first place documentary award in 2003, and a NBNA Eric Sevareid Award of Merit for general reporting. He also anchored and produced the Best Medium Market Public Affairs Program according to the Illinois Broadcasters Association for three years in a row for his Crime Stoppers specials. His involvement earned him the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award in 2011. Most recently, his commitment to Crime Stoppers led them to create The Dave Benton Crime Fighter Award to recognize others who are making a difference in Champaign County. When Dave wasn't working, he was spending time with his wife of 29 years. Although his children moved away from the area, they remained close and an extremely important part of his life. Dave was quoted as saying, "I love to be with my wife and kids. They make everything I do worthwhile." A mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday May 29, 2015 at Holy Cross Catholic Church 405 W. Clark St. in Champaign. Officiating will be Father David Sajdak . Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Champaign. Visitation will be held from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday May 28, 2015 at Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center Champaign Urbana Chapel 710 N. Neil St in Champaign. Dave's wish was that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Please join Dave's family in sharing memories, photos, and videos on his Tribute Wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.

Visitation May 28, 2015 Thursday, 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM Sunset Funeral Home & Cremation Center Champaign-Urbana Chapel 710 N. Neil Street Champaign, IL 61820 Service May 29, 2015 Friday, 10:00 AM Holy Cross Catholic Church 405 W. Clark St. Champaign, IL 61820 Final Resting Place St. Mary's Cemetery 42-4 St. Mary's Road Champaign, IL 61820