Bennett Andrew Murtha ’82

Bennett Andrew Murtha ’82 died on October 19, 2016, following a short illness. Ben was born in Orange, New Jersey, and came to Dartmouth from Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. An English and economics major, Ben participated in the Language Study Abroad program in Bourges, France. Ben was a member of Bones Gate, where he was recognized as a skilled and fast pong player and as a great mentor to members of younger classes who joined the house. After graduation Ben served as treasurer of the Bones Gate Corp. for more than two decades. “Bennett always had a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor that was entertaining and disarming,” recalls classmate Bradford Brown. While in college Ben met his future wife, Janine Rieling, who was a student at Mount Holyoke College. For more than 30 years, beginning in 1983, Ben successfully traded oil and gas futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Ben was an active member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and a committed supporter of many community organizations, include the New Jersey Association of the Deaf-Blind, NYMEX Charitable Foundation, the Discovery Orchestra and the CME Group Assistance Fund. Ben is survived by Janine, daughters Kendall and Kristin, mother June, brother Cliff and sister Liz. The family welcomes donations to the St. Luke’s Memorial Fund. The Bennett A. Murtha ’82 Memorial Fund has also been created in his memory. For more information on the fund, contact rich.lindahl@yahoo.com.