13.08.2007

Goodbye JMB

Some 200 plus friends and family of the late J Martin Benchoff attended a ceremony at the old Grove Lodge in Blue Ridge Summit, near Waynesboro Pennsylvania, yesterday to remember, celebrate and pay tribute to the life of J Martin Benchoff.
Please register to see all images

Over 200 freinds and family attended

Benchoff, past president of Grove manufacturing, and the driving force behind its spectacular growth in the late 1960’s, 70’s and early 80’s, passed away on July 16th, aged 80, after a lengthy fight with Parkinson’s disease. See J Martin Benchoff 1927 -2007
Please register to see all images

The Grove Alumni at the event, how many can you spot

Among the many attendees was a large contingent of past and present Grove employees. Many of whom had not met up in many years.
Please register to see all images

The Rev Dr Clayton Moyer

After a eulogy by the Rev Dr Clayton Moyer a number of close friends and associates paid tribute to his remarkable life and achievements.
Please register to see all images

J Martin Benchoff Junior

The speakers included his son, Martin Jnr, the hon Archie Lang, minister for Energy Mines and Resources for the Yukon territory - Benchoff’s favourite hunting haunt, Stuart Anderson his personal assistant and product/marketing advisor during the 1980’s and more recently the friend who kept him informed and up to date on the crane industry,
Please register to see all images

Stuart Anderson

Please register to see all images

Archie Lang

Nick Gallinaro founder of Grove dealer GAR and long time hunting companion and John Wheeler long time senior executive of Grove/Manitowoc who also officially represented the employees of Grove and the Manitowoc Crane Group.
Please register to see all images

Nick Gallinaro

Please register to see all images

John Wheeler represented Grove

As a tribute to Benchoff Manitowoc provided a Grove TMS 900E truck crane for the event, the brand new crane was set up outside of the entrance to the lodge supporting a massive US flag.
Please register to see all images

A Grove TMS900E flys the flag at half mast

All of the speakers paid tribute to Benchoff’s vision, attention to detail, salesmanship, people skills and fighting spirit. Not to mention his passion for hunting and love for the crane industry and Grove, something that he maintained throughout his retirement.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and …if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
John F. Kennedy

(from the ceremony’s order of events and one of JMB’s favourite quotations)