2/24/2025
Kathleen “Kathy” Jo Benner, 68, of Saint Thomas, Pennsylvania, daughter of the late Theodore F. Benner and Violet May Benner (Ezren), passed away peacefully on February 24, 2025, with her daughters by her side following complications from cancer.
Kathy is survived by her children, Emily (Bruce) Snyder and Natalie Benner; one grandson, Bruce, son of Emily and Bruce; and her siblings, Cindy (Mark), Becky (Preston) and Steve (Nina).
A proud corpsman in the United States Navy, Kathy was among the first women to be stationed on a naval ship, onboard the USS Vulcan AR-5. She loved sharing this achievement, along with fond memories of adventures with her shipmates.
Kathy dedicated her professional life to nursing, bringing comfort, compassion, and levity to every patient she cared for. She had a way of making people feel seen and valued, a gift she carried with her both in and out of scrubs.
In retirement, Kathy was an active player with the Cumberland Valley Senior Softball league (which is always looking for players of any experience level) and was a devoted fan of Caitlin Clark and the Chicago Cubs.
She was best known for her love of home, where she lived a quiet life enjoying the occasional flamingo sighting. Occasionally stubborn and always independent, Kathy marched to the beat of her own drum, and in doing so, she showed us that it’s okay to be exactly who you are.
Services will be held August 4, 2025 at 11 a.m. at Salem Hellers Evangelical Reformed Cemetery, 2555 Horseshoe Road in Lancaster, followed by a reception at the American Legion located at 1388 Arcadia Road in Lancaster. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider donating to the Fisher House to assist other Veteran Families at FisherHouse.org.