Ann Marie Williams Benson, 77, passed away peacefully October 1, 2023 at home with her family by her side after a long battle with cancer.

Family will greet friends from 6-7:30 Thursday, October 5, 2023 at Strode Funeral Home in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Services will begin at 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 6, 2023 at the First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater. Burial will follow in the Clarkson Cemetery, Coyle, Oklahoma. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.

Ann was born November 11, 1945 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She attended school at Coyle, Oklahoma graduating as the valedictorian of her class. During high school Ann was active in athletics, 4-H and served as pianist for school activities. Her work led to her being named to the Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame. Ann attended the National 4-H Congress and was developed into an excellent Dairy Judge winning many state and national judging events. After enrolling at OSU, she joined the dairy judging team that won many events across the nation. She again was very successful winning many individual and team honors, including being the high team in 5 breeds at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. Ann always maintained that her ability to speak before audiences was because of all the reasons she had to give as part of the Logan County and OSU Judging teams.

Ann graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics in 1967 and the next day married her best friend for the next 56 plus years, Gene Benson, who she met while attending OSU. Ann went on to earn her Masters and Doctorate degrees, also from OSU, over the next several years while holding down a teaching job, coaching winning 4-H teams, performing the duties of a farmer-teacher's wife and celebrating the birth of their son Brian in 1973.

After graduating from OSU Ann started her career as a Home Economics teacher with added responsibilities as the 4-H leader and unofficially the speech and judging team coach for her husband's Agricultural Education students. Ann started the kindergarten program at Coyle with a half-day session for 11 little boys and 1 girl, the second day the girl did not come back so Ann and the 11 boys spent the rest of the year together, using the high school student's bathroom because they were closest to the Home Economics cottage. She later taught at Mulhall-Orlando before moving to the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education where she would spend the next 34 years. Starting as a curriculum writer she later served as the Executive Director of the Mid-American Vocational Curriculum Consortium that included developing, printing and delivering Vocational Curriculum for over 20 state members and sold throughout the United States. In 1985 Ann was appointed Assistant State Director for Educational Services where she was responsible for overseeing all Career and Technical Education in Oklahoma High Schools, Area Career and Technology Education Centers and the Oklahoma prison inmate training programs. Ann was the first woman to be named the Director of the agency in 1999, a position she held until she retired.

After taking 6 months off in retirement Ann returned to education as a consultant for the Southern Regional Education Board. Soon she added to her work load as co-owner of Benson Education Associates, a professional consulting firm that worked with educators in 39 states as well as the State Directors of Vocational Education Association and the federal government.

Dr. Benson served as President of the Oklahoma State University College of Education Alumni Association; Vice President of the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium; President of the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education Consortium. Ann was also on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Endowment for Literacy and Reading, Southern Regional Education Board Basic Skills Consortium, Friends of the Oklahoma State University Library, Stillwater United Way, Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System, Stillwater Exchange Club [First female member]; Advisory Council- Oklahoma Rural Health Policy and Research Center and many others. Ann was a member of the Cooperative Council of Oklahoma School Administrators, the Oklahoma Commission on Education Administration, Inc., the Oklahoma Academy, the Professional Education Council and Oklahoma State University among many others.

Ann was honored with the Francis Tuttle Award, inducted into the Oklahoma Education Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Career and Technical Education Hall of Fame. In addition, she was honored as the Woman of the Year by the Journal Record in 2001. She was named the Distinguished Alumni Award Winner, College of Human Environmental Sciences, Oklahoma State University in 1992. Ann was awarded the American Vocational Association Region IV Outstanding Education Award, 1986 and the American Vocational Association Outstanding Service award, 1988.

Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Cliff and Minnie Williams, her sister Mary and her only grandchild, Brady.

She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Gene; her son Brian and wife Brooke of Coyle; her brothers John and wife Kay Williams of Coyle, and Jim and wife Ruth Williams of Coyle; brother-in-law Kenny and wife Debbie Benson of Dover; Sister-in-Law Connie and Husband Clint Bailey of Dover; nephews and nieces Jay Williams, Carl and wife Karen, Clark and wife Carol (Williams), Cindy and Husband Martin Crawford all of Coyle. In addition, nephews and nieces Lisa Benson, Jim and wife Kim Williams, Michael and wife Morgan Williams, Candy and husband Joe Webb, Robert and wife Sarah Williams. Additionally, Chris Bailey, Cindy and husband Shane Hunter, as well as numerous grand nieces and nephews.

The family requests for those wishing to honor Ann's memory do so by contributing to the Brady Benson Memorial Scholarship fund at: Oklahoma 4-H Foundation, 505 Agriculture Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078

Condolences may be emailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by
visiting www.strodefh.com .