'He Did It All For The Community': Mourners Praise Late Supervisor John J. Benoit

LA QUINTA, CA - Two Coachella Valley churches were filled Tuesday with family, friends and colleagues of county Supervisor John J. Benoit, who was eulogized as a giving and religious man with a lifelong dedication to public service and those in need.

Benoit, who represented the Fourth District -- an area that extends from the Coachella Valley to the Arizona state line -- died at his home in Bermuda Dunes on Dec. 26 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 64.

Hundreds bid farewell to Benoit at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in La Quinta and just down the road at Indian Wells' Southwest Church, where mourners viewed the funeral service via a live video feed. Burial followed at Coachella Valley Public Cemetery in Coachella.

Speakers described Benoit as a dedicated public servant who sought to solve problems for his constituents, as well as those close to him.

"When you were with him, he made you feel like there was no place else he'd rather be," said longtime friend and Desert Healthcare District board member Kay Hazen. "I find it hard to imagine our days in our desert without John Benoit among them."

Friends and family said Benoit lived to help others, even up until the end of his life.

Father Howard Lincoln said during a visit with Benoit the day before his death, the supervisor told him, "I still want to try to help. I just need to get out and talk to people."

His daughter Sarah, who wrote a letter that was read at the service, said that following his diagnosis, Benoit "fought every step of the way for more time, time with me, time with you, time to work on the many projects that were so important to the people he served."

Benoit began his career in law enforcement with the Corona Police Department, and later the California Highway Patrol, before entering the political arena as a member of the Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education. He also was elected to the Assembly and state Senate prior to becoming a supervisor, serving because of an ever generous spirit, his loved ones said.

Benoit's son Ben, who serves on the Wildomar City Council, said his father held many titles "for one reason: to be able to give back to his community."

He said his father taught him the "value of service" from a young age, a dedication to community that he pledged to carry forward through the rest of his life.

"He did it all for the community, especially those communities that needed the most and had the least," his son said.

Benoit's younger brother Paul said he learned the hard way how difficult politics and campaigning can be when he unsuccessfully ran for county sheriff. He said the experience made it all the more impressive how his sibling took to politics, citing his will and drive to help others.

"I could never understand why John couldn't just slow down and enjoy his retirement. But that wasn't in his character," he said. "He was happiest when he was busy dealing with people, and he was busy and dealing with people just about every day of his life.

I really bristle when I hear anyone condemn all politicians as crooks and liars," he told the mourners. "We had the pleasure to know one who was as honest and dedicated a public servant as anyone could conceive."

Former Palm Desert Mayor Buford Crites said Benoit "was a remarkably happy person considering that he has one of the most difficult jobs, I think, anywhere in the state of California."

Benoit, a Republican, was also praised for his ability to look past party lines, to reach across the aisle to achieve nonpartisan solutions.

Crites said that when assessing people, Benoit looked to how they could help benefit the community, rather than how they lined up with him politically.

"He asked a lot of things about how to make decisions, how to solve problems, how to look to the future. Those were the qualities he looked for -- not partisan politics, not what you were registered to vote for," Crites said.

Gov. Jerry Brown has yet to fill the Fourth District seat, but Fifth District Supervisor Marion Ashley will oversee Benoit's duties during the interim.

— By City News Service / Patch file photo