Doris H. (Hess) Benfield, 91, of Bechtelsville, wife of the late Joseph P. Benfield Sr., passed away peacefully on Friday, October 16, 2026, at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Born in Bowers, PA, she was the daughter of the late Earl J. Hess Sr. and Myrle E. (Rudolph) Hess.
Doris was a homemaker her entire life, raising her 8 children and 1 grandchild, Jason. She spent many days babysitting grandchildren and other family members. In her younger years, many weekends were spent camping, going on road trips, and talking on the phone with family and friends. Doris enjoyed bird watching and taking care of her flowers. For the last 40 years, she enjoyed traveling to Bradford County to spend time at their cabin. When her grandson Jason wasn’t working on the weekends, you could find them almost anywhere all over the map of Eastern Pennsylvania. From farm stands, butcher shops, produce markets, Qmart, malls… literally anywhere. His favorite places to go with her was to the casino in Morgantown. You haven’t experienced joy until you got to witness the smile on her face after winning $20 on a slot machine. Doris loved going to Pam’s Restaurant in Dushore, where she’d eat until she was stuffed. And after eating, they would mosey around the countryside. She loved going out and getting out of the house, even if it was just to people watch. She rarely left the car at most of these places but enjoyed being included and seeing the world outside of the walls of her home.
Doris was the loving mother of Bonnie Kemo, wife of Michael; Edward Benfield, husband of Pauline; Joseph Benfield Jr.; Debra Benfield, companion of Bruce Schoenly; Gerald Benfield, companion of Vickie Gordon; Nancy Mack, wife of Gregory; Bruce Benfield, husband of Nanette; sisters Myrle Batdorf, wife of the late Harry; June Minnich, wife of the late Dwight; Terry Inman, wife of Barry; and Dawn Hoffman, wife of George. She was a cherished grandmother to 16 grandchildren; 25 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren with 2 more on the way. She is predeceased by 1 son, Gary Benfield; siblings Richard Hess, Lee Hess, Earl Hess, James Hess, Nancy Lord, and Dolores Scrip; and 1 great granddaughter.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/) or the American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/) in Doris’ name.