Doris Eileen Kelley Benyak

Doris Eileen Kelley Benyak, 96, of Kennett Square, PA, formerly of Scottdale, PA, passed away October 15, 2024 at Twin Pines Health Care Center.

Doris was born at home in Scottdale on Ground Hog Day to Edgar and Gertrude Skiles Kelley. She was sister to Edgar, Ina Margaret, and William, and half-sister to Susan Waters. She was mother to Kelley Lee Crist of West Grove and Alan Daniel Benyak of Charleroi. She was the recipient of the “Grammy Award” from grandson Karsen and granddaughters Olivia, Sierra, Izzy, and great-grand-daughter Sadie. She was most proud of her family and their contributions to their communities.  

Doris graduated from Marysville Union High School, CA and attended Yuba College and University of Pittsburgh. Her family moved frequently because of her father’s active army status. She was known as an “Army Brat”, as were many other children of military parents. While Doris enjoyed the travel, she found it tough to make friends when the family didn’t stay in one place for too long. She enjoyed reminiscing about her friends. She was the Captain of her high school basketball team, played drums, and liked to dive and swim. Grandson Karsen would egg her on to “crack a dive, Grammy” in the family’s pool. Doris loved hot and humid days, learning history, exploring the origins of words, and was a stickler for accurate grammar. She could spot a misspelled word at a glance and edited her obituary when her daughter made errors. She delighted her kids when she took classes at Westmoreland County Community College, earning an “A” for memorizing Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”. Doris’s first job was with Yuba City Title Company, where she thought her salary of $100 a month was living the high life. Doris worked as a medical transcriptionist at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, and worked in Engineering, Sales, and Purchasing at Duraloy-Blaw Knox.

A lifelong member of the Calvin United Presbyterian Church, Doris will be remembered for performing magic tricks, playing clothes-pin games with her grandchildren, picking up sticks, bowling with Osage oranges, telling stories about Herbie Morrison and her dog Duke following her to school, and inviting actress Gene Tierney to her 1946 high school dance. Doris loved writing and re-enacting her adventures with the Kennett Square Senior Center’s Living History group. Her retelling of many shenanigans with dear friend Doreen, and with Scottdale girlfriends (Kathy, Elinor, Nancy, and Dumpy), always got chuckles. She wanted her headstone to read “She was honest, she was kind, but don’t expect a large inheritance.” 

Her family would like to thank Chester County Meals on Wheels, the staff at Twin Pines and the Brandywine River Valley Hospice for their kindness. Donations can be made to the Hospice Promise Foundation in Doris’s name. Her family is also grateful to the Longwood Funeral Home of Matthew Genereux. Services will be private with Life Celebration details to follow for Kennett Square and Scottdale locations.

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