Lyndsey Mary Benito

Lyndsey M. Benito, 65, passed away of complications related to brain cancer at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, on Thursday, June 28, 2012. She was surrounded by her loved ones. Lyndsey was a Westfield resident for 32 years, and proudly became a U.S. citizen in 1988. Born Lyndsey Mary Marguerite Danielle Pecher on January 1, 1947 in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1955 she moved with her family and was raised in Sutton Coldfield, England. In 1965 she moved to Brussels, Belgium to work as an interpreter. She married Simon Benito in December 1974. They moved to Madrid, Spain in January 1975, where they welcomed their first child, Lucie, the following year. They moved to Westfield in August 1980, and welcomed their second child, Annabel, in August 1982. Lyndsey and Simon split amicably in 1984. Lyndsey was involved with the Newcomers Club when she first moved to Westfield, and then became very active as an EMT on the Westfield Rescue Squad from 1985-1995. She worked for the Union County Educational Services Commission for 21 years - first at Centennial High School and then later at the Lamberts Mill Academy as a school secretary. She loved to read and was very interested in languages, of which she spoke five. She met her life partner, Gus Taylor, in February 1994. For the last 18 years they shared a wonderful, full life together. They enjoyed sailing during summer weekends in Bay Head, traveling and visiting relatives in Europe, and various social activities including The Establishment gourmet dining club. Lyndsey was delighted to welcome her first grandchild, Benito Xavier Berse, in January 2012. She will be deeply missed by her partner, Gus, her daughters, Lucie and Annabel, her sister, Anne-Marie Cooper of Belgium, and her mother, Mary Hatherill-Stephenson of England. A Life Celebration service will begin at 1:30PM Thursday July 5th, at Gray Funeral Home, 318 E. Broad St.Westfield (www.grayfuneralhomes.com), where the visitation will begin from 12noon until time of service, Thursday. Interment will be in Fairview Cemetery, Westfield. Donations in her memory can be made to the National Brain Tumor Society at www.braintumor.org.