A quiet hero

SANDUSKY — The Erie County Community Foundation's grantmaking abilities soared with a man's recent and history-making donation. Harold Behnken may not ring a bell to many locals but his legacy and charitable spirit now match the likes of other area benefactors, such as Ruth Frost Parker and George Mylander. After his passing in 2020, Behnken left the Erie County Community Foundation with "millions of dollars" of his own money. These are funds the foundation can, over time, distribute through grants to help locals thrive for years to come, officials said. While the specific amount wasn't disclosed, foundation executive director Beth Maiden did note it's the single-largest donation given to the organization, eclipsing Frost Parker's $2 million gift. "This gift was a planned gift that he made from his estate," said Maiden, underscoring how he truly embodies a "quiet hero." His donation was unrestricted, leaving the foundation the ability to address a greater variety of needs. First up: The 2022 Round 2 Grant Application is officially open, and Erie County nonprofits are invited to apply. Applications are due Aug. 1, 2022, and details can be found at eriefoundation.org/community-grants. The foundation encourages proposals for projects that collaborate among Erie County organizations, build organizational capacity, leverage additional resources, demonstrate sustainability and address community needs. Grant projects must serve Erie County residents. Earlier on in 2022, this grant cycle put $220,000 into the hands of Erie County nonprofits, schools, and municipalities. Recent projects awarded include Vermilion's Harbor View Park Access project, Margaretta Elementary School's robotics program, Goodwill's employment re-entry program for reincarcerated individuals, the Boys & Girls Club's financial literacy programs for teens, Victory Kitchen's Feeding the Hungry Project and enhanced entertainment and education at the Sandusky Pride festival. The Erie County Community Foundation is a publicly funded, nonprofit charitable organization whose vision is to be a community leader and catalyst for positive change in Erie County through the innovative development and use of charitable resources. Bio blast An obituary from Foster Funeral Home sheds some light on his life: Harold Arthur Behnken, 96, died Nov. 25, 2020, in hospice care in Sandusky. He was born in 1924 and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Harold recounted memories of a time when he and his friends could hitchhike to an ocean beach from Brooklyn. People with cars would pick the boys up and take them the rest of the way. He was in Boy Scouts, too, and enjoyed camping and the outdoors. He started college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1941 and joined the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps at the same time. In his sophomore year, he was commissioned as an Ensign and sent to radar school at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He was sent then to Norfolk Navy Base for further training and ended up on a destroyer in the Pacific Fleet. He was in the battle of Iwo Jima and the final battle against the Japanese in the Pacific, narrowly escaping death. Returning to college after the war Harold studied Electrical Engineering, graduating in 1947. He married Priscilla "Boots" Behnken in 1949, telling the family, "that was the best day of his life." They celebrated 60 years of marriage when she passed away in 2009, followed three years later by the death of daughter Nancy Meyers. His son, Frederick Behnken (Vikki), lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Harold spent his career with General Motors, living in New Jersey, Illinois and ending in Sandusky, where he was plant manager. He was always an active volunteer for his college, First Presbyterian Church in Huron, Highlands Presbyterian Church in La Grange, Illinois, and many other organizations. He received an award for philanthropy in 2018 from Parkvue Community in Sandusky, a symbol of the many gifts he and his wife gave over the years to religious, educational, environmental and health charities.