- Date Of Birth: April 8, 1930
- Date Of Death: October 9, 2015
- State: Massachusetts
David J. Benney, 85, of Upton, died October 9, 2015 in Countryside Healthcare in Milford after a period of declining health.
Professor Benney was born in Wellington, New Zealand, the son of the late Cecil H. and Phyllis M. (Jenkins) Benney.
David Benney was a dedicated teacher and mentor who had a remarkable ability to work effectively with Ph.D students. He mentored 18
He served for 46 years (1968-2013) as Managing Editor of Studies in Applied Mathematics. Under his long tenure, he steered the journal to world prominence, making it one of the best journals in physical applied mathematics. With Professor Harvey Greenspan, he co-authored the widely-used text, Calculus: An Introduction to Applied Mathematics, published in 1973 by McGraw Hill (republished by Breukelin Press in 1997).
In spite of such a distinguished and busy career, Dave always found time to spend with his wife and children. He loved to travel, ski, play tennis, and garden to excess. He tirelessly helped his wife with her horses, and maintained a sense of humor and remarkable modesty. His humility about his academic life was one of his greatest character traits.
In addition to his wife of 56 years, he leaves two sons, Richard Benney of Stow and Paul Benney of Bloomfield, CT; one daughter, Antonia Benney of Longmeadow; and two grandsons, Luke and Jon.
