Jessie Benton, daughter of renowned artist Thomas Hart Benton, died surrounded by family. Jessie was known and beloved by many. Her genius lay not only in music and artistic design, but in forging deep and lasting relationships with young and old alike.
She had been a seasonal resident of Chilmark all her life. In 1955, Jessie would join Pete Seeger performing at the unveiling of father's River Club mural in Kansas City. Two years later, enrolled at Radcliffe College, Jessie began giving concerts and singing on the Harvard radio station at the very beginning of the folk music revival. In January 1957, she appeared singing Elizabethan folk songs in a segment about her father on NBC's Wide Wide World TV program. In 1959, she played guitar and sang on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person interview with her father. After graduating from Radcliffe, she lived and studied in Italy. Returning in 1962, she and her first husband David Gude gave memorable concerts together at the Mooncusser coffee house in Oak Bluffs. She turned down a lucrative contract to become a star folk singer.
In 1966 she began living with a group of musicians and kindred spirits on Fort Hill in Roxbury, an experiment that continues to exist almost six decades later. Her parents supported the community wholeheartedly until their deaths in 1975. With her extended family, Jessie, an avid fisherwoman, involved herself in environmental causes such as a successful effort to restore the striped bass population on the Vineyard and across the Atlantic seaboard. In recent years, she and her husband Richard Guerin designed a beautiful residence, now an eco-hotel called Villa del Faro, along the East Cape of the Baja Mexico peninsula, as well as homes in Boston, Kansas and Los Angeles.
She is survived children:
1. Anthony Benton Gude
2. Daria Lyman
3. Cybele Benton McCormick
Also by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jessie will be irreplaceably missed by the 24 remaining original members of the extended family that her unifying presence held together for so many years. Their own children and grandchildren, and countless friends who came to treasure her hospitality (and marvelous cooking), laughter, and abiding spirit will surely miss her as well.
A private interment for immediate family and close friends will take place on Martha's Vineyard.
She had been a seasonal resident of Chilmark all her life. In 1955, Jessie would join Pete Seeger performing at the unveiling of father's River Club mural in Kansas City. Two years later, enrolled at Radcliffe College, Jessie began giving concerts and singing on the Harvard radio station at the very beginning of the folk music revival. In January 1957, she appeared singing Elizabethan folk songs in a segment about her father on NBC's Wide Wide World TV program. In 1959, she played guitar and sang on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person interview with her father. After graduating from Radcliffe, she lived and studied in Italy. Returning in 1962, she and her first husband David Gude gave memorable concerts together at the Mooncusser coffee house in Oak Bluffs. She turned down a lucrative contract to become a star folk singer.
In 1966 she began living with a group of musicians and kindred spirits on Fort Hill in Roxbury, an experiment that continues to exist almost six decades later. Her parents supported the community wholeheartedly until their deaths in 1975. With her extended family, Jessie, an avid fisherwoman, involved herself in environmental causes such as a successful effort to restore the striped bass population on the Vineyard and across the Atlantic seaboard. In recent years, she and her husband Richard Guerin designed a beautiful residence, now an eco-hotel called Villa del Faro, along the East Cape of the Baja Mexico peninsula, as well as homes in Boston, Kansas and Los Angeles.
She is survived children:
1. Anthony Benton Gude
2. Daria Lyman
3. Cybele Benton McCormick
Also by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jessie will be irreplaceably missed by the 24 remaining original members of the extended family that her unifying presence held together for so many years. Their own children and grandchildren, and countless friends who came to treasure her hospitality (and marvelous cooking), laughter, and abiding spirit will surely miss her as well.
A private interment for immediate family and close friends will take place on Martha's Vineyard.
Jessie Benton, daughter of renowned artist Thomas Hart Benton, died surrounded by family. Jessie was known and beloved by many. Her genius lay not only in music and artistic design, but in forging deep and lasting relationships with young and old alike.
She had been a seasonal resident of Chilmark all her life. In 1955, Jessie would join Pete Seeger performing at the unveiling of father's River Club mural in Kansas City. Two years later, enrolled at Radcliffe College, Jessie began giving concerts and singing on the Harvard radio station at the very beginning of the folk music revival. In January 1957, she appeared singing Elizabethan folk songs in a segment about her father on NBC's Wide Wide World TV program. In 1959, she played guitar and sang on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person interview with her father. After graduating from Radcliffe, she lived and studied in Italy. Returning in 1962, she and her first husband David Gude gave memorable concerts together at the Mooncusser coffee house in Oak Bluffs. She turned down a lucrative contract to become a star folk singer.
In 1966 she began living with a group of musicians and kindred spirits on Fort Hill in Roxbury, an experiment that continues to exist almost six decades later. Her parents supported the community wholeheartedly until their deaths in 1975. With her extended family, Jessie, an avid fisherwoman, involved herself in environmental causes such as a successful effort to restore the striped bass population on the Vineyard and across the Atlantic seaboard. In recent years, she and her husband Richard Guerin designed a beautiful residence, now an eco-hotel called Villa del Faro, along the East Cape of the Baja Mexico peninsula, as well as homes in Boston, Kansas and Los Angeles.
She is survived children:
1. Anthony Benton Gude
2. Daria Lyman
3. Cybele Benton McCormick
Also by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jessie will be irreplaceably missed by the 24 remaining original members of the extended family that her unifying presence held together for so many years. Their own children and grandchildren, and countless friends who came to treasure her hospitality (and marvelous cooking), laughter, and abiding spirit will surely miss her as well.
A private interment for immediate family and close friends will take place on Martha's Vineyard.
She had been a seasonal resident of Chilmark all her life. In 1955, Jessie would join Pete Seeger performing at the unveiling of father's River Club mural in Kansas City. Two years later, enrolled at Radcliffe College, Jessie began giving concerts and singing on the Harvard radio station at the very beginning of the folk music revival. In January 1957, she appeared singing Elizabethan folk songs in a segment about her father on NBC's Wide Wide World TV program. In 1959, she played guitar and sang on Edward R. Murrow's Person to Person interview with her father. After graduating from Radcliffe, she lived and studied in Italy. Returning in 1962, she and her first husband David Gude gave memorable concerts together at the Mooncusser coffee house in Oak Bluffs. She turned down a lucrative contract to become a star folk singer.
In 1966 she began living with a group of musicians and kindred spirits on Fort Hill in Roxbury, an experiment that continues to exist almost six decades later. Her parents supported the community wholeheartedly until their deaths in 1975. With her extended family, Jessie, an avid fisherwoman, involved herself in environmental causes such as a successful effort to restore the striped bass population on the Vineyard and across the Atlantic seaboard. In recent years, she and her husband Richard Guerin designed a beautiful residence, now an eco-hotel called Villa del Faro, along the East Cape of the Baja Mexico peninsula, as well as homes in Boston, Kansas and Los Angeles.
She is survived children:
1. Anthony Benton Gude
2. Daria Lyman
3. Cybele Benton McCormick
Also by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Jessie will be irreplaceably missed by the 24 remaining original members of the extended family that her unifying presence held together for so many years. Their own children and grandchildren, and countless friends who came to treasure her hospitality (and marvelous cooking), laughter, and abiding spirit will surely miss her as well.
A private interment for immediate family and close friends will take place on Martha's Vineyard.
Gravesite Details
Cremated
Family Members
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