Obituaries : Kenneth Benda

Kenneth was born June 14, 1939, in La Porte City, Iowa, to Edward and Maxine (Shaner) Benda.
He graduated from La Porte High School in 1957, then attended DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago for two years, earning his degree in electronics.
In 1965, he married Patricia Brown at the Church of the Brethren in Orange Township.
Ken was part of the electronics team from Cape Canaveral, Florida, that put the man on the moon on Apollo 11 in 1969. He and Pat were the owners and operators of Ken's Electronics in La Porte City for 35 years.
Ken was an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church, Jaycees, Lions, and Masonic Lodge. He served as a member of the city council and as the assistant fire chief of the volunteer fire department. In 2000, Ken and Pat were honored to receive the Jesse Wasson Award for distinguished citizenship dedicated to community betterment.
Ken is survived by his wife, Patricia, daughter, Christina (Brian) Jesse, daughter, Pamela (Dave) Steinick, and grandson, Gabriel Jesse.
Ken was preceded in death by his father, mother, and brothers, Dale and James.
Services: 10:30 AM on Friday, December 22, 2023. Visitation: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Thursday, December 21, 2023, both at St. Paul United Methodist Church, La Porte City, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the family.
Locke in La Porte City is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.LockeFuneralServices.com