Town Pool To Be Renamed In Honor Of 'Mr. New Canaan' Steve Benko

NEW CANAAN, CT ? As the community continues to mourn the loss of Steve Benko, the town's beloved recreation director for nearly 50 years who died Feb. 12 after a short battle with cancer, town officials have approved plans to honor him in a special way.

The town's Parks and Recreation Commission, Board of Selectmen and Town Council all voted unanimously this week in favor of renaming the community pool at Waveny Park in honor of Benko.

During a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen held Wednesday morning, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan opened the metting by sharing remarks about Benko. He noted plans to honor the longtime recreation director have been in motion for a couple of months.

"When we first learned of Steve's cancer in December, we knew he was going to have a battle," Moynihan said during the meeting, "but we never knew it was going to be as short as it was."

See also: Longtime New Canaan Recreation Director Mourned By Town

In January, Town Council Chairman Steve Karl suggested the town begin thinking of ways to honor Benko's memory.

According to Karl, town officials looked at a number of possibilities at Mead, Kiwanis and Irwin parks, and even considered naming the track at New Canaan High School after him. The pool at Waveny ultimately emerged as the obvious choice after Benko's wife was able to ask her husband what he thought his biggest accomplishments were during his five decades serving the town.

"The first one he named was Dunning Stadium, and second was the pool," Karl said. "It just seems fitting because...the pool was Steve's fourth child, and that was a good way of explaining how important the pool was to Steve and what it meant to him. You could find him there at five in the morning emptying the [pool] skimmers of gum wrappers. It was his baby. He just loved that pool."

He also noted renaming the pool meant Benko's name would likely still be attached to it a century later.

"It's the right thing to do," Karl said. "It feels right."

Prior to giving their unanimous approval, all three selectmen spoke highly of Benko and his dedication to the town, with Moynihan referring to Benko as a remarkable public servant.

"He literally gave his life to the town of New Canaan for 50 years," Moynihan said. "A native of New Canaan, he was always there for everyone. He was a friend. I would email him any time of the week or weekend and he would always reply. He was always there for everyone."

Selectman Nick Williams said Benko was "everywhere doing everything all the time" for New Canaan and noted he would be missed by many.

"If you had a problem with your AV system, if you had a fence to put in, whatever, I mean my gosh this guy was everywhere," Williams said, "and the wealth of experience and his knowledge of the history of New Canaan is unsurpassed. I've said it before and I'll say it again: he was Mr. New Canaan. I think this is a wonderful way to acknowledge what he's done for the town of New Canaan."

See also: Obituary: Stephen Edward Benko Jr., 71, Of New Canaan

Selectwoman Kathleen Corbet thanked everyone involved in finding a special way to honor Benko in light of his dedicated service to the town and its residents.

"It was certainly a privilege to know such an extraordinary man with an immense dedication to his family and an unwavering commitment to our community," Corbet said. "As I thought about the naming of this Waveny pool, I really thought about that this is an opportunity for his legacy to be remembered for generations to come."

Karl said the next steps for the project, following a unanimous approval by the Town Council that night, would be forming a committee to being planning for details such as signage and fundraising, as well as setting a date for a planned dedication ceremony.

"It'll be a town-wide event when the time comes," Karl said.

He also noted June 2022 will mark not only the 20th anniversary of the pool's opening in 2002, but also the 50th anniversary of Benko's employment with the town.

"It's just meant to be," Karl said.

According to his obituary, a memorial service in Benko's honor will be held at Feb. 24 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, located at 178 Oenoke Ridge Road.