Richard Benninger

Richard A. Benninger
June 21, 1948 – October 15, 2025

Richard Andrew Benninger of Seaside Park, NJ, formerly of Mountainside, NJ, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born on June 21, 1948, to George and Grace Benninger and raised on Apple Tree Lane in Mountainside—land once part of the apple tree farm owned by his grandparents, Leo and Mary Benninger.

Richard is survived by his devoted wife of 51 years, Mary Jane Benninger; his brother George L. Benninger; sister Nancy J. Spadacinni (Benninger); his children Daniel (Michele), Amanda, Todd (April), and Robert; and his nine beloved grandchildren: Antonio, Gianna, Frankie, Summer, Ty, Aden, Jax, Chaz, and Lorelei. He also leaves behind many cherished nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.

Richard attended Deerfield Elementary School in Mountainside, where his father worked as head custodian for the school system. He graduated from Governor Livingston High School and later worked for McDowell’s Oil Heat before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He served in the Utilities Section of Headquarters Company, 554th Engineers Battalion (Combat Engineers) from 1968–1970 during the Vietnam War. After returning home, Richard worked as a salesman for American Home Foods Inc.

In 1974, after marrying Mary Jane, Richard built their first home in Asbury, NJ, and later returned to Mountainside in 1977.

With deep family roots in Mountainside, Richard and Mary Jane purchased and operated the local hardware store in 1982, renaming it Benninger’s Mountainside Paint & Hardware. Richard was active in many community organizations, including the Bestowers, the Lions Club, and the Honorary PBA. He was known and loved by nearly everyone in Mountainside and Westfield.

In late 1991, Richard began a new venture with his eldest son, Daniel—Benninger & Sons Odd Jobs Company. In 2003, Richard and Mary Jane purchased the commercial property at 854 Mountain Avenue in Mountainside, which had been in the family for decades and added it to Benninger Management LLC. - the real estate management company that they operated together. They proudly renamed it The Benninger Building, as it had been known in the 1960s. The two businesses continue to thrive today under the leadership of Daniel and Todd, who took the reins when their father’s illness began in 2015.

After his diagnosis, Richard focused on enjoying life—building a handicap-accessible home on his Seaside Park property, traveling, and spending time with family. He was an avid boater, fisherman, and classic car enthusiast. One of his greatest joys was his 1965 GTO. In 2005, Richard and Mary Jane found and shipped home the exact model and color muscle car he had sold decades earlier when leaving for Vietnam. That treasured car remains in the family and will be passed down for generations.

Richard’s infectious smile, laughter, and larger-than-life personality will be forever remembered. Those who knew him best can still hear him laughing until tears rolled down his face. His faith in Jesus Christ gives his family comfort, knowing he has been reunited in Heaven with loved ones who went before him—and will be waiting for them one day.

He was a man of conviction, a tireless worker, and a firm believer that success comes through “blood, sweat, and tears.”

Though his life was cut short due to complications from exposure to Agent Orange during his service, Richard never complained. He simply said he “did what he had to do.” A proud American patriot, he always flew the American flag high and lit, wherever he lived—and those flags still wave in his honor today.

Rest in peace, Dad. We’ll hold down the fort.