LUDLOW, Vt. – Benito J. Natale, 95, passed peacefully at the Gill Odd Fellows Home in Ludlow, Vt., on June 7, 2026. He was born on April 8, 1931, in Glens Falls, N.Y., the first son of Antonetta (Corsini) and Angelo Natale. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and graduated from Hudson Falls High School.
Ben worked at the A&P Supermarket after his father died, in order to support his mother and two younger siblings, until he married Jane Eckler in 1955. He was accepted into the General Electric apprentice machining program, and the couple moved to Schenectady, N.Y., in 1956. He moved into GE management, eventually working in the safety office. He accompanied his boss to General Dynamics in Quincy, Mass., in 1979, moving the family to Pembroke, Mass. Ben worked in the Quincy plant and eventually in Groton, Conn., for Electric Boat. Throughout the years, Ben took courses and earned his degree in safety engineering.
Ben and Jane leave behind four children: Denise, a chiropractor in Vermont; Peter, an electrical tech in New York, his wife, Gail, and children, Dana (Mike), and Jason (Danielle); Tom, a retired forester in New Hampshire, his wife, Barb, and daughter, Kelcie; and Mark, chief estimator for a steel company, and his daughters, Ashley (James) and Gabi (John); his four great-grandchildren, Aria, Benjamin, Austin, and Gavin; many nieces and nephews; and his cousin, Sister Mary Louise, 99, at Greymore Convent in New York. Ben is predeceased by his wife, his parents, and his siblings Rachel, Jimmy, Angelo, and Emilio.
Ben and Jane had a great and loving life together raising their children. They were amazing dancers, participating in national square-dancing conventions several times a year, plus three or four nights a week at their local clubs. Ben was a master beekeeper and a member of Plymouth County Beekeepers Association (PCBA) in Plymouth, Mass., and Windham County Beekeepers (WCB) in Windham, Vt. He was an amazing artist, using his skills to create wood turnings, and to build furniture and wooden toys. He loved to take trees down, and sometimes had them cut into slabs to build something, or cut out a burl from which to turn a bowl. He kept the Pembroke trails clear and helped anyone who asked him for help repairing something, building something, or learning something. Ben mentored many people – from square dancers to new beekeepers – over the years, including his children. He was proud to have made many wooden improvements for St. Thecla’s Church.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Plymouth County Beekeepers, www.plymouthcountybeekeepers.org, or the Windham County Beekeepers, www.windhamcountybeekeepers.com.
There will be a celebration of life at Davis Memorial Chapel in Springfield, Vt., on July 11, and in Massachusetts, on July 25. Please contact the family for details, as they are not completed at this writing.