John Kenneth Bender Obituary

The memory of John Kenneth Bender of Ithaca, New York, who passed away on January 4, 2026 at the age of 99, will forever remain in the hearts of those touched by this precious presence in their lives. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of John Kenneth Bender to pay them a last tribute.

He was predeceased by: his parents, Cleburne Smith Bender and Martha Bender (Eising); his former wife Beatrice Bender (Stueber); his wife Beverly Bender (Cook); and his sisters, Winifred Bingham of Modesto and Kathleen Howe of Lake Havasu, Arizona..

He is survived by: his children, Jane Van Derzee of Ithaca and Joel Bender of Ithaca; his children-in-law, Thomas Van Derzee and Jane-Margaret Bender (Pittman); his grandchildren, Nicholas, Lauren, Jakendra and Jessandra; and his great grandchildren, Elieene, Emma and Zoey. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friends of the Ithaca Farmers Market (https://ifmfriends.org) or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.