The Rev. Frank Benson was, for many years, the chaplain to the Kearny Police Department. He was so much a part of the department’s fabric that many years ago, retired Chief John P. Dowie purchased a full uniform for him — decked out with chaplain’s bars — which he wore, proudly, often to significant events and when he would do ride-alongs once per month different members of the department.
“The Rev” as he was affectionately known, was also the longtime pastor of the Knox Presbyterian Church on Kearny Avenue through 1996. (The church ultimately closed its doors in 2013.) At retirement, The Rev. moved to Hackettstown, but he remained the KPD’s chaplain for 20 more years and would often make the 50-mile journey back to Kearny whenever someone, or the department itself, was in need.
The Edinburgh, Scotland, native died Jan. 4, 2016, aged 84.
But his legacy continues to this very day in so many ways.
One such instance was when Mina Ekladious, the Kearny Police Department’s union president, saw to it that a new shell for recreation crew was named after The Rev. And two weekends ago, with his wife, Paula, former colleagues and current police officers present, the shell was dedicated to his memory.
Retired Kearny Police Officer Jim Mackintosh, himself a Roman Catholic Deacon, offered a remarkable reflection about The Rev., we’re told, and instead of Christening the shell with a champagne bottle, he instead did so with a bottle of Johnny Walker Red, Benson’s favorite.
After the ceremony, The Observer spoke with the Kearny PD’s Chief Scott Macfie about The Rev. And while there were many observations that were clear, what stood out most was that he was loved, universally, by most of not all the men and woman who had put on the blue.
“When my sister went to the seminary of Princeton, Frank was her sponsor there,” Macfie recalls. “He would do ride-alongs with us, and he would visit officers who were out out sick. He’d go to their homes, he’d make phone calls. Years ago, we had a newsletter that was called ‘The Blues News’ that John Dowie put out. And then there was a spot, ‘Revelations From The Rev.’ It was great and he just he just had a very dry sense of humor. He was that overall nice guy.”
Macfie says while there were many aspects of policing Benson enjoyed, one particularly stood out.
“He loved to shoot,” Macfie says, noting The Rev. could often be seen at the shooting range in North Arlington. “We didn’t give him his own gun, but he purchased one on his own and he loved it.”
When Benson died, several people left tributes that, to this day are still poignant. One of them was made by Steve Durkin, now retired from the Kearny PD.
“My sincere condolences to Paula and the family of Frank,” Durkin wrote. “’The Rev’ was a fixture at KPD, a true friend who cannot be replaced. He took his role as chaplain to heart, doing ride-alongs with the officers, attending training, going to the firing range, attending every PBA function. But it was his weekly trips to headquarters, spending time with everyone from the chief of police to the newest patrolman, that I will remember most. He genuinely cared about each of us and our families and made it his business to know our business. No one ever wore the uniform prouder.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.