Benny Joe Lanterman

Benny Joe Lanterman, known to most of you as Ben, passed away on Sunday, July 17, at 3:25 PM, at the age of 73, after a long period of declining health. He was under hospice care at a nursing home in St. Charles, Missouri. His wife of 51 years, Bonnie Lou Lanterman, was with him. He was buried at St. Charles Memorial Gardens.

Ben was born on December 22, 1942, in Cuero, Texas, to parents James Linton Lanterman and Quinnada Lanterman. He received a bachelor's degree from Purdue University, where he met fellow student Bonnie Barron, who became his wife on April 3, 1965. They moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1965, where Ben started work as an aeronautical engineer. They joined the Florissant Church of Christ, where they volunteered as Sunday school teachers. Ben took photos for the church directory and built an educational R2-D2-inspired robot called OT-NT (Old Testament-New Testament). Their son, Aaron David Lanterman, was born on July 9, 1971; their grandson, Zachary Xavier Lanterman, was born on April 4, 2008.

Ben had a lifelong fascination with airplanes, both large and small. He worked his entire adult life at McDonnell Douglas, playing key roles in the development of aircraft such as the F-15, and retiring in 1996. He also designed, built, and flew model airplanes, and authored reviews for model aviation magazines. He was an accomplished photographer, specializing in nature and aviation photography. He was also an award-winning painter, and enjoyed sculpting polymer clay. He was an early pioneer of computer art, winning contests in several magazines as well as a family trip to Japan sponsored by Epson.

Many years ago, Ben wrote the first draft of a letter to be sent to friends and family in this event, which he updated over the years. He last updated it around Christmastime in 2014, and it reflects his most recent thoughts during the last time when he could fully and clearly articulate them. It is written from his heart, and his voice speaks to us all; please read it with care and attention. We have respected, and will continue to respect, his wishes expressed therein, and request that you do the same during this difficult time.