Shane Christopher Benton, born “Floyd Benton Jr”, was born on August 23, 1940. He lived in Camden, South Carolina during his childhood with his parents, Floyd and Edna Mae, and his siblings.
A Funeral Mass is being held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 11 AM at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Great Falls, MT.
He joined the US Navy and served aboard two ships, the Independence and the Saratoga, during the 1960’s. He met his wife, Marietta Kuehl, in New York while in college, and they married in 1976. They had one daughter together, Katheryne, and the family moved around the country while Shane worked for the Federal Aviation Administration. They lived in Buffalo NY, Harrisburg PA, Charleston WV, and later Great Falls MT for the rest of their lives.
While in Montana, Shane continued working in Flight Service and Air Traffic Control until he retired and used his Black Belt certification to teach taekwondo. Later on, he started a business in downtown Great Falls called Rocky Mountain Guitars, where he used his education as a luthier to repair and build stringed instruments.
Shane enjoyed reading, creative writing, karate, riding his motorcycle, playing the banjo and guitar, watching western movies and TV, collecting old firearms, and doing his best to provide a good life for his family.
He and his wife, Marietta, raised three of their grandchildren for a while, and were married for 49 years until Marietta passed away on March 12th of 2025.
Shane Benton leaves behind his son Louis Benton and his daughter Katheryne Levin. He also has grandsons Louis Benton Jr, Nino Benton, Jorge Benton Jr, and granddaughters Fern Traxel, Alex Levin, and Louisa Levin. His cousins Cole Benton and Rita Addison are also still here and will miss him very much.
