David Benak

Obituary of David Andrew Benak

David Andrew Benak, 78, of Las Vegas, NV, passed away on September 24, 2020 from complications related to a stroke.

Dave was born September 21, 1942 to Andrew and Dolores (Plesner) Benak at St Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, IN and grew up in Hammond, IN. He attended All Saints Catholic grade school and graduated from George Rogers Clark High School, Whiting IN in 1960.  Dave’s career was an amazing success story.  Following high school he started out washing windows at the LaSalle Street train station in Chicago, then became a mailroom clerk before embarking on a lifetime career in transportation, first as a Traffic Manager for B&O Railroad, and ultimately becoming Director of Training for the then Fortune 500 company Consolidated Freightways in 1980.  He joined CF in 1968 and was given the opportunity to return to school in 1975.  He attended the University of San Francisco where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  He retired from CF in 2001, and it was during his 33-year tenure at CF that he developed his life-long passion for teaching, coaching and mentoring individuals to realize their full potential. 

Although retired, Dave continued to share is knowledge, talents and abilities through teaching and training.  He started his own consulting company, Training Pays, and for the next 19 years, he worked with over 60 organizations and touched the lives of countless individuals.

Dave saw a need early on to make some life changes.  He began attending AA meetings, and the remainder of his life was dedicated to his own sobriety and walking with others on that same path.  Prior to his passing, he achieved 31 years of sobriety in the program and during that time he was never without a sponsor and at least one sponsee.

Dave is survived by his wife of 30 years, Carrie Benak, his son Timothy Benak (Dawn) and daughter Janet Tasto both from a previous marriage, his grandchildren Britney, Tyler, Stephanie and Nikki, and his great-grandchild Aamarion.  Dave is also survived by his two brothers, Richard Benak (Vickie) and Dennis Benak (Georgean) as well as 2 nieces Cheryl and Maureen, and 3 nephews Rich, Jim and Philip. He is predeceased by his parents, Andrew and Dolores Benak, his sister Dolores Novalick (James), his son Kenneth Benak, and grandchildren Kenny Jr. and Haley.

Dave was loved and admired by many, most of all his family who misses him dearly.

Due to Dave and Carrie’s recent move to Las Vegas and the current COVID-19 restrictions, the family has chosen not to hold a formal memorial service. They do encourage you to use this page to share your memories, sentiments, stories, photos or whatever else you would like to share about how your life path crossed with Dave’s.

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