S. Rodgers "Sid" Benjamin

S. Rodgers “Sid” Benjamin, age 92 years, passed away on Wednesday, January 2, 2019 at Independence Manor.

Born in the Bronx, NY, September 2, 1926, the son of the late Philip J. and Bessie Copperman Benjamin, Sid lived a storied life right up to and since he came to Flemington, NJ.

His high school years were spent at Bordentown Military Institute, a school he credited with altering his life. Summers, those years, were spent working as a lifeguard on the beaches of Long Beach, NY, where he met his future wife, Isabel Quattrocchi.

Fresh out of Military School, he joined the Army and fought in the infamous World War II Battle of the Bulge, and proudly served through the end of the war. Back in Isabel’s arms, they decided to elope on the day after his twenty-first birthday.

Though he had a wife to support during his years at the University of Miami, he graduated with honors and a degree in Advertising. After college he was surprised to get a call from his dad asking him for help at the fur factory known as Flemington Furs. He and Isabel agreed to a six- month trial. Six months turned into over sixty-five years in the town they learned to love so much.

In the early days, Flemington Fur manufactured fur coats sold to New York and Philadelphia based retailers. Tired of late payments received from department stores, Sid decided it was time to try selling furs direct to consumers. Though most everyone believed he was crazy (“Why would anyone drive to Flemington, NJ to buy a fur coat?), he put his advertising skills to work and started promoting in newspapers, on the radio, and billboards. People began to take long drives from everywhere as Flemington Fur soon became known as the second “direct to you factory outlet in America” and a household name throughout the tri-state area.

Among other things, Sid was a Founder of Little League Baseball in Flemington; a Lions Club member; advisor to Governor Kean and countless politicians; Town & Country Bank Chairman; appointed to the Board of the NJ Sports Authority; Chairman of the Fur Information Council; Founding Board Member of the RTMUA; and avid supporter of Camp Isabel for special needs and underprivileged children. His boundless desire to give back to the community he loved so much has been an inspiration for all who knew him well.

Sid was predeceased by his lovely daughter Gina. He is survived by his beautiful wife of seventy-one years, Isabel; a wonderful daughter Pamela Gale; his son Bob and his wife - Sid’s much adored daughter-in-law, Mary; his two grandsons, Shawn and Terence (and his fiancé Leah Green); and his precious granddaughter Annie Grace.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 7, 2019 at 11 AM in the Flemington Presbyterian Church under the direction of the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ. Burial will be private in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Flemington, NJ. Immediately following the funeral services, all are invited back to the Stanton Ridge Country Club, 25 Clubhouse Drive, Whitehouse Station, NJ for luncheon and to continue to celebrate Sid’s life.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Hunterdon County Special Olympics, C/O Kathy Creveling, 213 County Road 513, Glen Gardner, NJ 08826.

Please visit www.holcombefisher.com for further information, or to send condolences.